Sunday, October 30, 2011
Brooklyn Marathon Sold Out
A quick follow to yesterday's post on the Brooklyn Marathon - now it looks like the race has sold out. A waitlist is being created, and interested runners can sign up and will be notified after 11/3 on a rolling basis if they have made it into the 250-person field.
Poland Spring Canceled - What You Need to Know
For the second time this year, a NYRR race has been canceled. Runners will receive qualifying credit for the race *or* a coupon for a race to be determined (the list will be released after the NYC Marathon).
Lot of ice still on the trees, a lot of limbs down on the road, so be careful in your daily run today (and bundle up!). The ban on city parks appears to still be in force - even when it's lifted, keep a wary eye on the sky.
I can't even imagine what would be going on if the NY Marathon had been scheduled for today.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
City Parks Closed on Snow on Trees
All city parks are recommended closed right now due to the snow on trees ... watch the NYRR site to see if tomorrow's race is cancelled, but at very least be careful on your morning run, whereever you are. It's fun to run in the snow, but ...
Running in the Snow
The guy is running in the Bronx,but you get the idea. It's friggin' October. Good luck to the NYC Marathoners next week (of course, it'll be 70 degrees, I'm sure) ... This courtesy of the NYTimes.
Poland Spring Kickoff Still On
Right now, Poland Spring Kickoff 5 Mile race tomorrow is still on - and there's probably no reason for it to be canceled, unless the surprising snow keeps coming down. The one issue might be the trees - I've already seen limbs down in Brooklyn Heights while tromping around as the snow is collecting. Regardless, it most likely would become a fun run rather than canceled outright.
Last-minute details will be posted on the website and the Facebook page.
Last-minute details will be posted on the website and the Facebook page.
Running the Bridges and Brooklyn Waterfront
There's something to be said about mashing together two shorter running routes to get a good 10K run in.
One of my staple runs is to start at the Brooklyn Promenade near Remsen, head over the Brooklyn Bridge, and then head back. It's just shy of 4 miles, and I'll do it usually when I have just a half hour to run.
With a bit more time this morning (and not meeting up with any of my usual Saturday cohorts), I decided to mix together this run with a Brooklyn waterfront run. So after getting into Manhattan, I headed into Chinatown and came back to Brooklyn via the Manhattan Bridge. From there, it was straight into Dumbo, where I hugged the water (and farted around in Brooklyn Bridge Park near Pier 1 for a bit) all the way to Atlantic, then headed back up to the Promenade.
The route is about 6.4 miles, give or take, and is nice in are really only a few places where the cars may interrupt your running. You also get two long "bridge" hills and a short, but steeper, approach from the water up Jouralemon (or, if you choose to modify it, up Atlantic).
One of my staple runs is to start at the Brooklyn Promenade near Remsen, head over the Brooklyn Bridge, and then head back. It's just shy of 4 miles, and I'll do it usually when I have just a half hour to run.
With a bit more time this morning (and not meeting up with any of my usual Saturday cohorts), I decided to mix together this run with a Brooklyn waterfront run. So after getting into Manhattan, I headed into Chinatown and came back to Brooklyn via the Manhattan Bridge. From there, it was straight into Dumbo, where I hugged the water (and farted around in Brooklyn Bridge Park near Pier 1 for a bit) all the way to Atlantic, then headed back up to the Promenade.
The route is about 6.4 miles, give or take, and is nice in are really only a few places where the cars may interrupt your running. You also get two long "bridge" hills and a short, but steeper, approach from the water up Jouralemon (or, if you choose to modify it, up Atlantic).
SNOW!
Nothing like waking up in the morning and seeing the banner headline: POWERFUL STORM COULD IMPACT 60 MILLION PEOPLE (that's from Weather.com)
Of course, the underlying news is that we could actually have measurable snow here in Brooklyn in October for the first time since 1952, according to this article. Right now, it's a mixture of snow & rain in Baltimore! Bet those who are running the Marine Corps Marathon tomorrow weren't expecting this weather (heat is usually the big issue for that race.)
Forecast is for 2-4 inches for the New York City area, and I'm sure it's going to be slushy and fun out there. If you want to enjoy just the rain ... well, the light drizzles have just started on what's going to be a wet one today. Get the running tights and rain gear out! And just be thankful this isn't happening *next* weekend.
Of course, the underlying news is that we could actually have measurable snow here in Brooklyn in October for the first time since 1952, according to this article. Right now, it's a mixture of snow & rain in Baltimore! Bet those who are running the Marine Corps Marathon tomorrow weren't expecting this weather (heat is usually the big issue for that race.)
Forecast is for 2-4 inches for the New York City area, and I'm sure it's going to be slushy and fun out there. If you want to enjoy just the rain ... well, the light drizzles have just started on what's going to be a wet one today. Get the running tights and rain gear out! And just be thankful this isn't happening *next* weekend.
Brooklyn Marathon Has a Only Few Spots Left
For those who really want to run 8 loops in Prospect Park on Nov. 20, you *still* have a chance to register for the inaugural Brooklyn Marathon. As of Thursday, there were 8 spots left.
*CORRECTS an earlier post with the right date - it's before Thanksgiving!
*CORRECTS an earlier post with the right date - it's before Thanksgiving!
PPTC Marathon Bus
Prospect Park Track Club still has space on its marathon bus fleet (or it did as of yesterday afternoon). For those of you racing next Sunday and still don't have a way to get to the Staten Island start, the buses leave from 7th Ave. and Garfield (by JackRabbit Store). Details are here.
MRIs: Worth It?
New York Times this morning has a front-page article questioning the widespread use of MRIs as a diagnostic tool, citing many doctors who say the value is overstated and can lead to unnecessary surgery.
Ironically, the only MRI I've had for a running related injury (I had twisted my knee) helped rule out surgery by doctor who was eager to put me under the knife.
Ironically, the only MRI I've had for a running related injury (I had twisted my knee) helped rule out surgery by doctor who was eager to put me under the knife.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saturday Running Thoughts
*I love the fact that you can identify the hard-core folk aiming for New York Marathon in a couple of weeks (or Philly, or any of the late fall marathons). It's the belts, of course, with water, gel etc. It's the camaraderie (Yes, I've spelled this right). My run today, 15m, I nodded to several others out there in the final throes of training.
*Spent an hour at the tail end of the Rock 'N Roll 10K in Prospect Park. Purely judging on the music -- *THERE WERE NO LIVE BANDS*. I know the DJs tried, but cmon. My group passed four DJ stations, and no bands (3 on the loop, one on the upper transverse). If I missed any, apologies and I'll correct. But for the price of the race (I hope they got a great goodie bag), let's have some great music.
Searchable results should be here: The winning time: a blazing 29:01 (wow)
*Spent an hour at the tail end of the Rock 'N Roll 10K in Prospect Park. Purely judging on the music -- *THERE WERE NO LIVE BANDS*. I know the DJs tried, but cmon. My group passed four DJ stations, and no bands (3 on the loop, one on the upper transverse). If I missed any, apologies and I'll correct. But for the price of the race (I hope they got a great goodie bag), let's have some great music.
Searchable results should be here: The winning time: a blazing 29:01 (wow)
Saturday, October 1, 2011
To Pace or Not to Pace?
Welcome the latest debate in the running world, helped by the fact the IAAF just eradicated world records for women who ran in mixed races. Thankfully Paula Radcliffe still can lay claim to the record, though her "record" time is now two minutes slower than previous.
What about local races? Should runners be paced? Should men pace women? Should men pace men? Should marathons have pace groups?
Jury's still out, obviously, though let me offer two recent examples from my own personal running experience, just to ground the discussion a bit:
*In making a bid for a qualifying time for Boston Marathon 2012, I was offered by a couple of faster friends to help me through my qualifying race. (I'd wrestled this issue before, ultimately said that I wanted the race to be as pristine as possible).
*Earlier this year, I helped a friend (female) run the second part of a half marathon, part of training as she aimed for a full marathon.
The world marathon "record" set at Berlin involved Patrick Makau surrounded by pacers. Thousands of runners in New York this year will be part of organized pace groups. Obviously, even if you're paced, you still have to run the race, and I don't think that undermines the legitimacy of the time.
Fascinating debate over at Letsrun.com on the topic, btw.
I do think, however, that pacers interfere with the tactics of the actual race itself (though of course, if there are pacers, you build that into your strategy). It's one of the reasons why I love X/C and trail racing - time goes out the window, and it's all about what you can do against others on the race course.
My own personal decision about not wanting help was essentially selfish: Boston was one of my lifetime goals, and I wanted to do it on my own. There are several good reasons to have pacing, of course - that's why the options exist.
Something to wrestle with, I think. Appreciate any thoughts folk have. Happy trails, and stay dry this weekend.
P.S. Three posts today so far - at this rate, I'll surpass the September output momentarily! (Sarcasm on my writing failures duly noted).
P.P.S. Absolutely no idea what the women's 10K record is in Central Park. Will that be reset? (I'm guessing no, given the response of a lot of national running leaders.)
What about local races? Should runners be paced? Should men pace women? Should men pace men? Should marathons have pace groups?
Jury's still out, obviously, though let me offer two recent examples from my own personal running experience, just to ground the discussion a bit:
*In making a bid for a qualifying time for Boston Marathon 2012, I was offered by a couple of faster friends to help me through my qualifying race. (I'd wrestled this issue before, ultimately said that I wanted the race to be as pristine as possible).
*Earlier this year, I helped a friend (female) run the second part of a half marathon, part of training as she aimed for a full marathon.
The world marathon "record" set at Berlin involved Patrick Makau surrounded by pacers. Thousands of runners in New York this year will be part of organized pace groups. Obviously, even if you're paced, you still have to run the race, and I don't think that undermines the legitimacy of the time.
Fascinating debate over at Letsrun.com on the topic, btw.
I do think, however, that pacers interfere with the tactics of the actual race itself (though of course, if there are pacers, you build that into your strategy). It's one of the reasons why I love X/C and trail racing - time goes out the window, and it's all about what you can do against others on the race course.
My own personal decision about not wanting help was essentially selfish: Boston was one of my lifetime goals, and I wanted to do it on my own. There are several good reasons to have pacing, of course - that's why the options exist.
Something to wrestle with, I think. Appreciate any thoughts folk have. Happy trails, and stay dry this weekend.
P.S. Three posts today so far - at this rate, I'll surpass the September output momentarily! (Sarcasm on my writing failures duly noted).
P.P.S. Absolutely no idea what the women's 10K record is in Central Park. Will that be reset? (I'm guessing no, given the response of a lot of national running leaders.)
Great Times at Grete's Great Gallop
Cooler conditions led to some blazing times at today's Grete's Gallop, a half-marathon in Central Park.
Tops among Brooklyn runners:
*Michael Maag (6th overall): 1:10:42
*Caitlin Phillips (3rd overall): 1:22:05
In the 1.7 mile Norway Run
*Garland Days (4th overall): 9:04
*Anna Fyodorova (4th overall): 10:25
Welcome to autumn temps!
Searchable results here (for the half) and here (for the Norway Run)
Tops among Brooklyn runners:
*Michael Maag (6th overall): 1:10:42
*Caitlin Phillips (3rd overall): 1:22:05
In the 1.7 mile Norway Run
*Garland Days (4th overall): 9:04
*Anna Fyodorova (4th overall): 10:25
Welcome to autumn temps!
Searchable results here (for the half) and here (for the Norway Run)
October Races
Lots of great October races out there, including the Bed-Stuy 10K next week, a chance to run on Roosevelt *and* Randall's Island, and the return of X/C races up at Van Cortlandt. A look at some of the area races:
*Oct. 9: Get to the Point 5K, Greenpoint
*Oct. 9: Run for the Wild 5K, Coney Island
*Oct. 9: Westchester Half/Quarter Marathon, White Plains
*Oct. 15: Roosevelt Island 5K, Roosevelt Island
*Oct. 15: Rockaway Marathon, Rockaways
*Oct 16: Kurt Steiner X/C 5K, Van Cortlandt
*Oct. 22: Rock 'N Roll 10K, Prospect Park
*Oct. 22: Sleepy Hollow 10K, Sleepy Hollow, NY
*Oct. 22: Run the River 5K, Randall's Island
*Oct. 23: Race Against Violence 5K, Bay Ridge
*Oct. 30: Poland Spring 5M, Central Park
*Oct. 2: Liz Padilla Memorial 5K, Prospect Park
*Oct. 2: Harry Murphy X/C 5K, Van Cortlandt
*Oct. 2: Merrell Down & Dirty 5K, 10K, Bronx
*Oct. 9: Restoration Plaza 10K, Bed-Stuy
*Oct. 9: Get to the Point 5K, Greenpoint
*Oct. 9: Run for the Wild 5K, Coney Island
*Oct. 9: Westchester Half/Quarter Marathon, White Plains
*Oct. 15: Roosevelt Island 5K, Roosevelt Island
*Oct. 15: Rockaway Marathon, Rockaways
*Oct 16: Kurt Steiner X/C 5K, Van Cortlandt
*Oct. 22: Rock 'N Roll 10K, Prospect Park
*Oct. 22: Sleepy Hollow 10K, Sleepy Hollow, NY
*Oct. 22: Run the River 5K, Randall's Island
*Oct. 23: Race Against Violence 5K, Bay Ridge
*Oct. 30: Poland Spring 5M, Central Park
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