Manhattan Half Now a Fun Run

Posted on the NYRR site:

Manhattan Half-Marathon Update

In the interest of safety, and in consultation with NYC Parks and Recreation, the Manhattan Half-Marathon on January 21 will be an unscored (non-competitive) event . All registered entrants who are members of NYRR will receive 9+1 qualifying credit toward their guaranteed entry requirements for the ING New York City Marathon 2013. You do not have to run the race to receive this credit. Runners should use caution in traveling to and from the event, and at all times before, during, and after your run, including dressing for the conditions. NYRR thanks you for your support of our events!

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.

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.

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.

Hurricane Irene Aftermath

Based on TV reports and eyewitnesses, there are actually people up and about, running at places such as the Coney Island Boardwalk and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade! At least in the Heights, few tree branches and limbs down, though we're not done yet. Just be safe, people.

Water is covering some places in lower Manhattan along the water's edge (i.e. the prime running paths) - CNN has some shots of anchors with water lapping at their ankles - though hasn't really advanced much further. In Brooklyn between Piers 1 and 6, a few places have water on them, as the East River is right up near the top of the land.

Stay Safe

As tempting as it will be to go for a long run during the hurricane (well, tempting for some of you - yes, you know who you are), take a second to consider the tree limbs that will be hurtling in your likely direction.

Category 1 or no, Irene will leave a lasting impact on the area - make sure you're not part of the story.

If you've been living under a rock the past couple of days, all three NYRR races are canceled this weekend. The next NYRR/Marathon qualifying run is Sept. 17 - the Fitness 4-miler, though entries are limited.

Weather and This Weekend's Races

Hurricane Irene is already starting to wreak some havoc with race planning, so it's a good idea to be flexible.

As of now, both Sunday's Henry Isola X/C race in Van Cortlandt and the Bronx Half will be run as scheduled ... NYRR urging people to watch their website for updates. (My guess is that if there are any potential issues, the Bronx Half will be held as a "fun" run so that everyone who entered will get it as a qualifying race, though we'll see).

I do have to say, running the Bronx in rain is *much* more appealing than 90-degree temps.

Do keep a wary eye out if you're running something else on Sunday, and please, be careful.

Running in the Humidity

Phew, this has been one tough week to run.

I've done my best to dodge the humidity, running in the early mornings, late evenings where the temperature has been great. Not really all that successful, I've found, with sweat dripping off my brow within a mile, and regularly coming back from runs having dropped 3-4 pounds despite efforts to stay hydrated.

But if you're training for a late summer/early fall race, you've got to do it. Need I remind the Boston Marathon wannabes (me! me!) who are looking for a last-minute qualifying time for 2012, the entries open on Sept. 12, which pretty much rules out most of the great fall marathons in the area.

As I was reminded earlier after whining to folk about today's run, which was cut short ... again ... by the humidity: You set a goal, you go after it, you do what you have to do.

Today's run: Prospect Park, over the Brooklyn Bridge, a loop around the southern tip of Manhattan, back up to the Williamsburg Bridge, over and then along Kent and Flushing before finally collapsing near the Brooklyn Bridge Park. 4 miles short of the planned 20.

So, you pick yourself up, and do it again. :-) Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Brooklyn Half Weather

The sun is out now (I swear, I saw it for a brief moment), a brief respite the misting, spitting, drizzling, pelting, pouring rain we've had over the past couple of days (and more on the way it seems through Friday).

(Of course now it seems all the water fountains are on!)

I had early hopes of temps in the 50s for the 7 a.m. start of Saturday's Brooklyn Half, only to be dashed by NY1. And a check at weather.com indicates this is the current forecast:

High of 71, low of 59, possible thundershowers.

For the heat-misers among us, rejoice. I'm suspecting it's going to be a sweaty, humid mess (like it was this AM ugh). It may be dry, which is a good thing. And keep in mind, if you know the shoes that you're going to race in, keep them dry - the last thing you want is to head to the starting line with shoes still damp from Thursday's run.

Think It's Cold Here?

Check this out. And no whining about the road conditions.

Snow Update

Wow, that was a pleasant surprise (or not, depending on what you think about a 15-inch snowdrift sitting at your front door).

Sidewalks seem more or less runnable (though the street corners and slush puddles are lurking). If you can get there, Prospect Park is clear (though it will probably ice up tonight). Small path on the Promenade, suitable for running if you're the only one out there. Haven't been up to the bridges, so don't know whether skiing or running is the way to go.

Now where are my snowshoes ...

P.S. Still no word on the Brooklyn Half

The Great Slush

OK, I come back into town after the holidays, and the roads are, no surprise, a giant slush puddle. (Actually, most of the side streets are OK in the Heights, except where people are shoveling out their cars).

A quick update on running conditions in my general area:

*Prospect Park loop is wet but runnable
*Brooklyn Bridge is runnable, though during the warm weekend days it's been taken over by locusts (er ah tourists - it's just as crowded as it is during the summer). Also, in the places where there is work on the pedestrian bridge, it narrows to about a lane. The plus side: I only saw one bike up there (and I was moving faster than he was).
*The 0.43 loop in Cadman Park is completely snow covered (though if you want to run loops there, you can run on the sidewalks)
*Manhattan Bridge is perfect
*Brooklyn Promenade has two very narrow paths carved out. Unfortunately, there are often people on these paths, so prepare to divert into snow if you run there (nearby Columbia Heights, which parallels the Promenade, has both the sidewalks clear and the streets open, if a bit slushy in places)
*Brooklyn Bridge Park pathway has been plowed
*WATER and bathrooms remains open during regular hours at the Pierrepont Street park off the Promenade

Happy New Year everyone!

New Year's Races

Absolutely beautiful weather, ain't it? Perhaps it's time for the X/C skis or the snowshoes (thankfully, I got my run in early with the snow blistering my face - fantabulous!) Wonder what it's like on the Brooklyn Bridge right now ...

Some races to think about in the near future as you plot your New Year's running resolutions:

*On New Year's Eve, there's the Brooklyn New Year's Eve 5K Run at Prospect Park, about a 5K fun run starting at 11:15 p.m. (so you have time for the midnight celebration!)

*If you happen to be in Manhattan, and want to celebrate in Central Park with a bunch of your friends (or 5,000 strangers), there's the annual 4 mile run at midnight. An added bonus this year is that it's a NYC marathon qualifier (and you get to pick which one). Online registration for this race closes tonight.

*If you're a Prospect Park Track Club member (or know someone who will invite you along), the club throws its annual Harry's Handicap loop at around 10-ish in the park (the gimmick for this race is that the organizers try to predict your time beforehand, and then give you a "handicap" that tells you when you'll start. Note, this is a PPTC-club race, but as mentioned, non-members can run. A story about the race is included on the PPTC blog (scroll down).

Marathon Weather Outlook

Right now, you'll be waking up to weather around 40 degrees, with a high for the day projected to be 51 degrees. Chilly weather to be sitting out at Staten Island for a few hours, but almost perfect conditions to run a long race, depending on when the high is reached.

Welcome to October

One of the great things about running this month (my favorite month) is that you know never know what the conditions will be when you walk out the door the following morning - could be 90, could be 30 degrees. So it was this morning when I woke up, watched a little Ryder Cup and planned for a nice morning run. The rain had held off so far -- what was the worst that could happen?

Hah. Sheets of pouring, windswept water, giant shoe-sucking puddles mixed in with a precious, solitary experience of sopping footsteps chugging down the Brooklyn Heights Promenade - not a soul on it except for me. (Which probably was because it was POURING.)

That's why I run. Happy October.

P.S. Five weeks to the New York Marathon (and a week to go if you're running Hartford). Excited?!!!

Races This Weekend

At 5 p.m., I'm sitting at work, debating a) run home; b) go to a bar for a goodbye party; c) head home to be with the family. The answer? c), which is why I'm still relatively dry (relatively, since I got off the subway and was confronted with a whiteout of rain and wind. Hope those runners who were out there didn't get too wet (drenched is a possibility) and managed to avoid the swirling debris and falling trees.

This weekend, what to do? Plenty of options:

On Saturday, Sept. 18, check out the Harlem Renaissance Road Race (5 miles). Don't go to the Dog Run Dog that was supposed to be in Prospect Park - the Web site says it's postponed to spring (dang, I wanted to meet Rufus, the Registration Dog)

Sunday's also got some options. The third leg of the Brooklyn Triple Crown - the Chris Hoban 5 miler, takes place in Bay Ridge. If you want something longer, check out the Yonkers Marathon and Half - I want to do this someday (and maybe I'll show up for the half). Then again, you can run 3 loops of Central Park (and pay for your efforts).

The PPTC main site (scroll down) as well as NYCRuns have plenty of others as well.

Running in the Heat

There are reasons to run in hot, humid temperatures. Say, for example, you're training for the Queens or Bronx half marathons, and you're looking to mimic race-day conditions. Or you're looking at at a fall marathon and need to get the mileage in.

Then there are the reasons *not* to run in such conditions, or at least tailor your workout to accommodate the heat. Such as today's poor excuse: a 12+-mile run (should have been 15), which started with some promise and slowly dribbled away (like the water I vainly poured over my heat in an attempt to stay cool.) Note to self: a run around the Green-Wood cemetery sounds like a good idea (a little variety, little traffic ... and no water fountains. Yes, there a couple of bodegas, if I'd planned a bit more ahead).

I don't care that the Watchtower clock said it was 73 degrees when I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge later - the strength-zapping humidity more than made up for it. I'd also think my body had at least acclimatized, a little, to the temperatures given the weather over the last few weeks. Uh uh.

I know others feel my pain. And probably some of my dehydration (despite drinking Gatorade, water and lemonade for several hours, it wasn't until mid-afternoon before the need to use the bathroom arose). It seems a lot more humid sooner in the year (could just be me).

So, to actually add some value to this vent, let me steal a line from when of the better cop shows: "Let's be careful out there." Don't overdo it. Make sure you're hydrated. And run smart (i.e. modify your workout to take into account the temperatures.)

Wow It's Hot!

I was in Prospect Park this evening (just running, not racing), and had a firsthand look at the people who braved the weather to race in the initial PPTC Al Gordon Speed Series race.

Folk didn't look happy. And that's an understatement.

Whooh, hate the time of the year when you're transitioning from spring weather and you get an unexpected scorcher. Hope everyone takes precautions and transitions well into the hot weather running. (Thankfully, it gets cooler this weekend).

P.S. Anyone got thoughts on who can fix the water fountain by the GAP entrance to the park? The one on the path that's constantly clogged? My favorite fountain, but the standing water tends to get kind of gnarly.