Brooklyn Half Marathon

It has been over a year since I blogged about a race, but I felt since I was running in Brooklyn, the place where I grew up, I needed to start again. I wasn't planning on running the Brooklyn Half a few months ago, but Ray Petit, a fellow RVRR runner insisted I do it because I grew up there.

Once race registration opened, I quickly signed up then realized the race started at 7am which didn't make me happy. If I left from my home in New Jersey, I would have to get up at 3:30am, get on the road by 4:30am, park and then get to the start by 6am. Since the race started at the Brooklyn Museum and finished in Coney Island and bags needed to be checked by 6:20, it was gong to be a challenge.

I made up my mind that I would stay in Brooklyn for the night at my mother & sister's house which would save me some time.

This would be my 6th Brooklyn Half Marathon, the first being in 1984, 30 years ago, when I was 25 years old. Back then, it started in Coney Island and finished in Prospect Park and there were only  1,000 runners. There would be over 25,000 runners for the 2014 race. I ran a 1:45:33 in 1984 and I was hoping to run it faster this year.

1984 - 1:45:55

On Friday night my sister and I went out for dinner at Ortobello's on Bay Parkway. This was the first time ever we dined together alone. We had to catch up on a few things since our mother passed away 3 weeks ago. My sister and her kids lived with my mom the last 7 years and took care of her especially recently when she was sick.

Up at 4:15 in a familiar, but strange house, I slept surprisingly well on an air mattress. I was meeting up with Yoi, another fellow RVRR member and everything was going according to plan until the car service guy showed up 20 minutes early. As I went outside to tell him to wait for about 15 minutes, Yoi showed up and then I realized one of my sisters's cats pooped on the floor near the door and I stepped in it. I was now hopping around with cat crap on my running shoes trying to finish up and get ready to leave.

Elmo

We got to the start in plenty of time, checked our bags and then headed to the start. I lost Yoi at that point so I chilled in my coral by myself. I was starting in wave 1 which would start at 7 am. Wave two started at 7:45. It was a perfect day for race, with temps in the 50's at the start.
My plan was to run 8 minute miles even though I haven't been running well since the Boston Marathon. I ran the Riverdale Y Half two weeks earlier in 1:56:43 which was extremely hilly and less than two weeks after my marathon.

The first 3 miles were flat to downhill which made for an easy warm-up, but then into prospect park for a series on hills. I have run many races there so it was no surprise, although I felt like the course was easier then the Cherry Tree ten miler.

Once on Ocean Parkway, it is a straight shot to Coney Island. There was lots of crowd support along the course with many people holding signs.

After a slow start, I was clicking off sub 8's and feeling pretty good. I finished in 1:43:24 and this was with me taking photos along the way. I probably could have gone under 1:42 if I just ran.

After crossing the finish line I headed to MCU Park to meet up with Ray, Yoi, Sally, Sreeni & Kelly, Ray's niece. We tried to get a drink at Peggy O'Neils but it way too crowded. Since everyone was hungry I suggested L&B.

Sreeni, Me, Kelly, Ray & Sally

After a slice and some spumoni, which I think everyone enjoyed, we parted ways.

Although it was a bit of a logistic nightmare to get to the starting line, I love running the streets of Brooklyn so I think I will be back next year.

Here were my splits,

Mile 1	8.18
Mile 2	8:13
Mile 3	7.41
Mile 4	7:57
Mile 5	8:10
Mile 6	8.40
Mile 7	7:34
Mile 8	7:32
Mile 9	7:50
Mile 10	7.42
Mile 11	7.33
Mile 12	7:55
Mile 13	7.43
Mile .1	0.46

Thirteen 13.1's in 2013 - You Half Fanatic, You.

My quest to run one half marathon a month in 2013 began in Manhattan with 13.1 miles in Central Park on January 27^th. The weather had been mild for most of the winter so far, but for some reason, this race always brings cold temps. In 2007 it was single digits at the start and only reached the upper teens by the finish. This day was no exception with 20 degrees at the start and a slight breeze. I was running with a friend who planned on taking it easy which was fine for me since I was looking to do 8 minute miles as well. The Central Park half course is a tough one, two loops around and with plenty of hills so don’t expect a PR.

We both agreed to run the first loop easy and then pick it up the second time around if we felt good. He fell back after 3 miles and almost quit after 5 due to a leg cramp. I kept looking back for him and then decided to just run since it looked like I was on my own. I was not having a particularly good run, but I didn’t let the hills get the best of me, although my legs were getting tired towards the end.

I kept a pretty even pace although afterwards I realized my splits were, in some cases, 20 seconds off per mile. I usually like to pick it up at mile ten, knowing I only have a 5K left so I did my best to pick up the pace. I finished strong, passing a number of runners, but was disappointed with the time of 1:46:27. I was hoping to go under 1:45, but the weather and the course were not cooperating.

My schedule didn’t allow me to run a half in February since there was only one within a short drive and I was busy that weekend. So the next race for me was the Half of Quincy in Massachusetts on March 10^th, followed by a mini ski trip at Killington afterwards with my son and his friends.

The Boston area had been hit with several snowstorms this winter and got another big one a week before this race. The race director hinted that if more snow was to come, he might have to cancel the race. No snow was predicted and in fact the weather for the weekend and the day of this race was going to be in the high 40’s and sunny. I was excited about running it, but when I got home from work on the Friday before the race, I saw a Facebook post that he cancelled the race because the police thought the course was unsafe.

I was initially annoyed because my plans were now all up in the air and I was trained and wanted to run 13.1. My original plan was to leave on the Saturday, sleep over a former coworker’s home then run the race on Sunday. I now had to switch plans and knew of the Ocean’s Run Half Marathon in South Kingston, Rhode Island.

This race started at 10am so if I wanted to run it, I would have to leave at 5am to give myself enough time to get there. I figured I wouldn’t hit any traffic at this early hour and it was daylight savings time so I actually lost an hour of sleep.

I was up at 4am, on the road at 5am, and arrived at race registration at 8:45. I met up with a few Half Fanatics for a few photo ops and then got myself ready to run. I assumed it would be a flat course, but alas it wasn’t. No big hills, but a bunch of rolling little ones. It was actually a good day for a long run although I was hoping the sun would stay out.

I went out in 7:17 and felt relatively good and thought I might be able to hold that for the first 6 miles. My goal was to go under 1:40 so this was a good pace. By mile 4 I was fighting the little hills and the crosswinds. I never was uncomfortable so I thought I might be able to pick up the pace at mile 8 or 9.

In fact, at mile 8, I was at 1 hour so I thought if I can go 7:30’s for the final 5 I would easily break 1:40. Mile 9 was 8:02 although I picked up the pace. I thought the mile markers were not correctly placed because for the last 5 miles my pace was all off; 8:02, 8:46, 7:03, 7:39 & 7:53. I finished up in 1:40:26 which wasn’t horrible but slightly off my goal time.

I hung out for 45 minutes afterwards hoping to meet another Jersey runner from my town. As it turned out, he was over 1 hour after me. I needed to still get to Boston, pick up my son and then head to Killington. I headed out without meeting him.

Half marathon #2 is done and now the April Fools’ Half in Atlantic City on April 7^th is next.  I am doubling up in April with the Unite ½ on the 21st.

The Half of Quincy has been rescheduled to May 5^th. I hope to make it up for that one.

Running into Spring

Spring is here, but the weather is not cooperating so I decided to do two things to help it along. Once the calendar says it is spring, I switch to shorts for my runs no matter how bad the weather. I don't want old man winter to think he is still welcome in March.

The other thing I do to is cook spring like recipes. Although I love the comfort foods such as stews and casseroles, I want the lighter meals this time of year.

Today for example, I ran an easy 3.5 miles this morning at 5:40 and although I needed gloves and a hat, I ran in shorts. It was a brisk run, but after a quarter mile, I was comfortable.

My plan was to make two types of  muffins for the post run and also bring some to work. I prepped both recipes the night before and all I had to do was bake when I got back from the run. I made lemon-blueberry & orange-cranberry, both from recipes I had seen online. The ingredients made the house smell of spring with its citrus & fruity flavors.

My First Beer Mile

I was always reluctant of doing a beer mile because, although I am a decent runner, I am a horrible drinker and i don't like getting sick. I wasn't given the "two beer Bob" moniker for nothing. A beer mile is an event where you run four laps around a track drinking one can of beer before each lap. I wouldn't normally drink four beers in one night, let alone 4 in less than 15 minutes. My original plan was to run the mile, and drink 1/2 a can of beer before each lap. Once at the track with all he guys and gals, my adrenaline was flowing, and there was no way I could take the short cut. Our club rule is you need a beer with at least 5% alcohol content, but I brought Piels, which according to Jimmy Breslin, is a good drinking beer. but unfortunately, only contains 4.23% alcohol. I was sticking with it, but couldn't be in contention for he championship belt. That belt was currently held by Lindsay Hamoudi who ran a 6:53 last time out. Lindsay wasn't running so the belt was up for grabs.

Before

 Chris Kelly joined me along with the RVRR runners and brought his wife Debbie and a few friends to cheer us on. There are a bunch of rules that you need to follow, and beer milers are very serious about them. No spillage or you are disqualified, no shotgunning and if you should vomit, you need to do a penalty lap. I was taking this "race" like my first marathon, enjoy the journey and just finish.

I haven't chugged a beer in years and now I needed to do four in less than 15 minutes, and oh by the way, run a mile.

You line you beers up past the finish line in a some sought of pattern that you can recognize so not to accidentally drink another competitors brew. Kelly was the official timer for the event so when she said go, we pulled the pop top and started drinking. The first one went down fairly easy and off I went. My stomach was a bit bloated, but I was fine. I was told by Chris that warm beer works best when chugging which mine was, although it was a chilly night. As I approached my second lap, I had a wee bit of apprehension of downing a second beer less that 2 minutes from my first. I took more time drinking  it, but got it down in about a minute I guess. I was hoping to have split times but I totally forgot to click my watch. The second lap was fine but my bloated stomach was now a grumbling. Belching is important and according to some veterans of this event, get the air out as quickly as you can. Some guys or girls can't belch it out and it causes them a problem.

Second lap done and now beer number 3 was ready for me. I really took my time with this one, chatting with the dozen or so spectators. Some folks were vomiting and non competitors were hooting and hollering. I was having a blast, but I still had 1/2 the race to go. Once I consumed my third beer, it was off for lap number three. Some of the faster guys were now passing me as they were finishing up and I was trying to  catch a few of the slower runners. One girl in front of me ran off the track to the infield and shouted back that we was feeling queasy again. I held back from passing her. I tried to pick up the pace, but my stomach began to act up a bit so I pulled it back to a 8:30 pace. There is a fine line between wanting to run and chug fast and making it through without having to do a penalty lap.

Lap three done and now it was beer #4 I had to contend with. I was pretty bloated at this point, but got it down. Dixon was being crowned the winner in a time of 8:22 with Keystone Ice's. I now just had to finish one lap without getting sick and I would have completed my first beer mile. I started off slowly and tried to pick it up but stomach was having none of it so I pulled back a bit. I was thinking of passing Kate but it wasn't worth it, being so close to the finish. I finished in a time of 14:30 being one of the last few to complete it. I really didn't care but I will only get better.

Once done, I was so proud of myself for finishing intact, no vomit and another running goal attained. Unlike my first marathon, which I vowed not to do again for awhile, I started planning my second beer mile attempt with hope of breaking 12 minutes. I guess my ultimate goal would be to go sub 10 minute, but that will be real tough. I would have to run a 7-8 minute mile and chug beers in 30 seconds which is not reasonable.

After

Female Champ

I made it home safely while the rest of the gang went out drinking in New Brunswick.

Freehold Area Running Club Winter Series 5K - 27:25

Every year I try to give myself a running goal, which helps me stay on track with the exercise. This year's goal is to run at least one race per month with someone who I haven't run with in the past. This could be somewhat of a challenge to encourage friends, family or new acquaintances to join me. Some folks get intimidated running with experienced runners for fear of holding them back or they feel they will run so slow they will com in last. I always say that the folks that come in last are the people who are still home on the couch.

Last week I was suppose to run the Stay Strong Brandon 5K with Sean Brady but he felt the snow was going to be a problem for him. I thought that was a smart move because it wasn't the best footing and if you are not used to it, you might take a spill. Sean has a goal of running a 5K a month for 2012 and if was to get hurt on the first race, it would have set him back. Sean called me up after the Stay Strong race and said I needed to find him a race the last week of January so he could keep his resolution.

I was planning on running the FARC winter series 5K on the 29th with a few other guys so it was perfect plus it was only $5. They run a good series and each race participant gets rewarded with a hot cup of chicken soup.

I met Mike W and the Senator there and introduced them to Sean. My plan was to run the race with Sean knowing we would be doing 10-12 minute miles. We got off to a good start and was running at a 12 minute clip when Sean needed to walk a bit right around the 1st mile. I walked with him for a bit then told him I would take off and then come back and finish the last 3/4 of mile pacing him.

Of course I had my camera with me and got some good shots of the Senator, Mike, Sean and Nova. In fact when I veered of the course just a bit to take a picture of Nova, a girl I was running near, thought I was going to cut the course. How dare she? I took a picture of her said I would blog about her which I am now doing.

The girl who thought I was going to cut course

I finished in 27:25 and Sean finished in 36:25. He said he felt great and this was just the start for him. After some soup and bagels, we hung around to watch Ken, Nova and Mike pick up their age group awards.

Nova Roman

The Senator pushing the pace

Mike W picks up his first place age group award

Sean already has his sights set on February.

January 22 - Princeton Hash - set by Uncle Fester

I have only done a few Hashes in my running life but I have to say, Sunday's course set by Uncle Fester (Mark Strawn) was the best so far, at least for a novice. Why was it the best? It was long, somewhat challenging, some good trails, nothing real dangerous and it provided a good workout.

Along for the ride was HeyYoPaulie, EuroTrash, Runner girl and his dog Peanut, Brian, Steve & Horshak. The first

part of the hash took us through RU parking lots, bu

ildings, athletic fields, the Stadium, the golf course and mostly on asphalt. We also ran around the Cornelius Low House which is where we saw the BN (Beer Near) marking. We enjoyed a nice miller and continued on

the second part of journey.

The second half of the hash took us near the Johnson Park zoo, the horse track and into the woods. It was actually starting to get dark while in the woods and near the end of the hash it made me think of Bear Grylls and what I would need to survive if we got lost and couldn't see the markings. We got a bit off trail and

needed to really work to find the way back to the start. After about 15 minutes of searching for the right way, we saw an open gate which led us right back to the beginning. Total hash time was about 2 hours and we covered 7.3 miles.

We finished up by the house

where we started which is owned by the state. I think they bought it since it is right on route 18 and is now used for state work on the Route 18 Project. Looked kind of creepy. We had our apres hash there which included some more beer, chips and ribs I made for the finish.

The ribs didn't travel well in the cold but were appreciated by all. We were met there by Hosbewet (Mark's wife Ro) where she was happy not to be out in the cold.

Brian 

Most of the guys went back to Mark's house to watch the Giant game, while I hurried back home to make dinner for the family. I would have stayed but I had made fresh gnocchi and needed to prepare. I will make arrangements to stay the next hash I do.

If you have never hashed, you need to give it a try. It's completely different than a normal run and gives you a good workout while also

Post Hash food and refreshments

enjoying different terrains.

January 21 - Stay Strong Brandon 5K - 21:23

This will be my first post in quite a while. I had knee surgery on September 19th and was running very little before that. I guess I was "lack of running depressed" and didn't feeling like blogging about my inactivity. I had a torn meniscus which Dr Jolly of Princeton Orthopedic took care
of, and had me back on the roads in 6 weeks. I will post more on the procedure in a separate blog but I want to get back to blogging about my races.

The Senator, Me & Renee

The Stay Strong Brandon 5K was put together by Chris Paskoc of the Monmouth Junction Fire

Department in an effort to raise money for Brandon Dominguez, a 9 year old South Brunswick student who is battling brain cancer.

Chris called me knowing that I am the race director of the Run with the Vikings 5K and wanted information on organizing a race. This was in mid December and he wanted to put the race on in January, in a mere 7 weeks. He needed to design a course which would run by Brandon's house, get some sponsors, round up volunteers and promote the event in less than 45 days. Not ideal, but doable.

Chris was able to get this all done, but then ran into one problem, it snowed the morning of the race. He didn't cancel and although it probably held down the number of runners and walkers, the race was a huge success. He had 55 finishers and raised close to $3,000.

I was able to get a few runners to show up and we all had a blast. I love running in the snow, but probably wouldn't have made this race if it was a few towns away. The toughest part of the race was actually driving to the start. The roads were not plowed and very slick. It took place at Veterans Park which is about 1 mile from my house. The course started and finished in the park and passed by Brandon's house. In fact Brandon was in a van at the corner of his house and everyone yelled Stay Strong Brandon. It was very moving and hopefully it brought a smile to his face.

I ran with John Liptak, as well as Rich Britton and finished in 21:23. The Senator (Ken V) was there, but he was a good 30 seconds ahead of us. I started slowly and as I got loose picked it up a bit. I think the course was short because my times have been a lot slower since the operation. I ran the PCRC last week in 23:48 on a hilly course. There were no mile markers and the race was not officially timed so it was tough to figure the pace, not to mention the slow track due to ice and snow.

My prayers have been with young Brandon since hearing about his cancer. I know the day brought a smile to his face and hope to his family.

Stay Strong Brandon