mostly about running...

Since I have been away...

2012-02-16T16:39:00.000-05:00

2011 ended up being a good year for me in the marathon front.

I finally went under 2:50 in Edinburgh in May. It was more challenging than I had expected. Weather did not co-operate at all. Most of the details are now muddled in my head, but the highlights are rain, hail and head winds, especially the last 10K. I was worried I would not hit my target time, but I was able to come under 32 seconds with what was then a PR at 2:49.28. Of course the moment I crossed the finish line, the sun came out. Scotland is afterall know for its variable weather.

I was not sure what to expect in Chicago in October; I found myself at the starting line not sure what time to target. Even though I kept running well through the summer, I did decrease volume, missed some quality workouts and overall I was not as dedicated coming in as I was for Edinburgh (where I expected to have a good race). For some amazing reason I felt really good from the start and knew I was going to have a good race. I just let the legs do their jobs, I did not focus on time. I just wanted to be sure I was hitting the 5K markers under 20 min (for a sub-2:50). I surprised myself with a 2:45.12. I would be lying to say that it was effortless, but it was easier that I thought it would be. I was happy.

It was my plan to run less after Chicago (regardless of time). I have since then been racing shorter distances (with PRs in both 5K and 5 Miles), but have been having a hard time increasing volume. I have been running only 4 times a week and my weekly mileage is rarely over 40.

How can I find the motivation back? A running buddy has suggested to take a whole week off. I may take him on that. Perhaps I should just sign up for races in the fall and hope that that will force me start training and give me a reason and focus to run. We will see...

Racing

2011-04-18T15:01:00.000-04:00

There was so much racing this weekend (London, Vienna and Boston marathons) that I got inspired.

I just signed up for the NYC marathon in November. I had a qualifier but was still on the fence about it. After seeing all the racing, I took the plunge.

See you in the streets of NYC in November.

10K PR

2011-04-12T10:48:00.000-04:00

It finally happened! I ran a 10K under 39 minutes. I have been trying to go under that barrier for over 2 years now and underachieved in every effort since.

Based on recent form and the McMillan predictor that I could run 35-36 minute race. But it still came as a total shock when I crossed the line at the Scotland Run on Sunday and saw 36:20 on my Garmin. It is a 3 minute PR and for such a short race it is huge.

I pretty much followed the same tactics that have been working for me on my other races as of late: go out fast and try to hold on to the pace. One of the main reasons, I think, that I am able to reach pace goal so quickly and sustain it, is that I am faithfully doing track work and tempo runs every week. It has really brought up my racing times up a notch.

Sunday also marked the first time I ran with my team's, Warren Street, singlet. It was also a club's point race and I finished just out of the top 5 of my team, so I was not able to score this time around. Hopefully next time.

Target race is still 5 weeks away. Friends will be running Boston in 10 days and I am eager to find out how they do. And if I am able to emulate their successes.

Hard Workouts

2011-04-05T18:32:00.000-04:00

Saturday I went for the weekend long run. I planned a 22 mile route that would take me down the East River, across the Queensboro and back to Manhattan, two loops of Central Park and then back up the East River. It felt good all the way, never labored. I probably started just below 8 min/miles and got faster once I hit the park. I finished the run with a 7:12 min/mile average. I probably should have included some marathon pace miles in there, but all in all I felt good and was pleased with the run. Weather was perfect for running sunny and high 40s.

I ran later on Sunday afternoon. I wanted to rest a bit more from the long run, since I had scheduled a tempo run for Sunday. I would normally ran it earlier in the week (Thursday) but somehow it just did not happen. I was not sure how fast I could sustain the tempo with so little rest, so my goal was to average in the 6:20s. Entering from the Harlem Meer I started running counterclockwise, once I went over the Harlem Hill I started my 5 mile tempo. The first mile was the hardest and slowest one at 6:09. I got more comfortable with the run hitting 6:04, 6:08, 6:08 and 5:54 (big downhill) respectively. At the end I was spent, but I could have ran one more mile. I was back to where I started at the Harlem Meer, however, so it was time to go home.

Monday I just took it completely off -- I did not even hit the gym. I was tired and lazy. This morning (Tuesday) Robert and I had our regular speed workout. We agreed on doing 200-400-600-800-600-400-200 meters instead of the usual 8x400m. He has more speed than I do and usually use him as a target, but this morning he was not giving 100%, so I found myself leading most of the reps which made them slower than usual. No big deal really. We both have races this weekend (10K for me and 5K for him), so taking it easy was a good call.

Latest runs

2011-03-28T22:59:00.001-04:00

Wonderful run around Manhattan on Saturday morning with Robert, Helen and Sarah. 30s, sunny, maybe a tad windy, but just about the ideal conditions to attempt such a run. It also meant that for the first time ever I would run over 26 miles at one go -- making me, I guess, unofficially an ultra marathoner.

I was a bit worried about it and was ready to use my Metrocard in case I felt the need to use it -- a need that never came. It was not easy, but it did feel good. 4 hours and 33 miles later, the run was done and the body was sore. Maybe I do have an ultra in the future.

I took Sunday off, more out of laziness rather than soreness. Out of guilt, I ran this morning (usually day off) an easy, slow 6 miler to the park and tomorrow have my usual speedwork session with Robert in the morning.

Since I have been away...

2011-03-24T17:30:00.000-04:00

A few things happens since last September. Some lows, some highs.

I pretty much felt miserable with my running (read over-training) most of last summer and fall. That reflected in both the marathons I signed up in the latter part of the year.

While Berlin (2h53) was not a complete bust, it was not stellar either. NYC was just a disaster waiting to happen. I knew I was not recovered from Berlin, still I pressed on with a fast start (and dreams of a sub-2:50). I saw my self walking most of the last 3-4 miles. Finish time of 3h02 was decent, but not up to the standard I was looking for.

After a quick break from most things running related, I started the year with a new approach -- to emphasize quality over volume. And things seem to have turned around.

Twice I have run the Mile at the Armory and now have a 5:24 PR (pretty good for me). My 5K now is 18:38. And, most satisfyingly, I now have a sub-1:20 half-marathon with my 1:18.22 effort at the NYC half.

Target race is still 2 months away -- Edinburgh on May 22. Let's keep the ball rolling.

Back to Training

2010-08-31T11:56:00.000-04:00

I am back in New York and have resumed my marathon training. Berlin, after all, is in less than a month!

The brief interlude in Colombia proved to be a good rest in the end. I came back on Friday afternoon so very eager to come back to running that I squeezed a quick 4 miler before dinner despite the long journey back. Saturday morning I had scheduled a slow, leisurely 12 miler in anticipation to a long run on Sunday. But my legs were craving for speed and I could hardly control them as I was running in 6:40s (50 seconds faster than I wanted) for most of the way. Running on the Bridle Path in CP did slow me down eventually.

I had intended to run around 22 miles on Sunday afternoon. However, the fast run the previous day coupled with heat and humidity, plus the sudden shot up in running volume did take its toll. I made more (and longer) stops than I wanted, but did manage to finish 21 miles. My legs on Monday were the sorest they have been since Boston, I think.

Overall, I am glad on how things are. I have relatively hard week and on Saturday plan to run a 24 miler (the longest run this training cycle).

Training hiatus

2010-08-22T22:38:00.001-04:00

I am supposed to be in the most volume intensive part of my training for Berlin. But instead I am on vacation in Cartagena, Colombia.

My father is here on business, so why not! I had no idea how much running I was going to be able to do, much less the same volume I was supposed to be. At any rate I am glad there is a beach right in front of the building I am staying. I have been running only around 4 miles a day however.

Here are some pictures from last evening's run.

6 Weeks to Berlin

2010-08-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

Summer in the northeast has been very hot and humid. And also flying.

My training has had its ups and downs. Increasing volume to 70+ miles some weeks have really taken a toll on me. There are days when I wake up in the morning and know that I have a 12 miler scheduled before work, but all I want to do is just go back to sleep.

Last Thursday that is exactly what I did. I had been running for more than a week without a break. While I hit my Wednesday tempo run in the morning without a problem, I really felt so tired the whole day. Thursday morning came, I put on my running kit and was ready to go out of the door, but instead decided to browse the internet for 2 hours before work. I badly needed a running free morning. I am glad I did it. I felt less sluggish during the day, even energized. On Friday actually I did a double - 11 miles in the morning and 8 in the evening - and now am feeling good to run my long run later on today.

Last 2 Races

2010-07-18T23:33:00.001-04:00

The month of July has been an scorcher here in New York City. Needless to say running has not been easy at all. I have been trying to do my runs either very early in the mornings or during the evenings afterwork when it is not as hot or humid.

But the weekend NYRR races take place around 9am. While it may not be as warm, humidity is already high at that point. Forget about PRs. With these conditions it is all about running as strong as a race one can muster.

Last week I raced the Splash and Dash 10K which I had been targeting to run fast. Originally I had wanted to run at a 6:10 pace, however given the weather conditions I had to downgrade my expectations and hoped for a strong sub-40min race -- that proved to be a more feasible goal. There was no way I would have been able to run the entire race in the pace I had wanted. The first 5 miles I was averaging in the 6:20-6:30 range and only the last 1.2 miles was I able to run below a 6 minutes pace. I finished 4 seconds off of my official 10K PR at 39:23, which surprised and pleased me.

Yesterday was the Race for Central Park 4 Miles and as expected weather were similar than last week and again it was a major factor. But in many ways it was a satisfying race. Firstly, I managed a PR. This is a race I have hardly raced since 2005, so I knew a personal record was possible. The 24:42 final time was a 40 second improvement from an earlier 4 miler race I ran this year. Secondly, I actually beat Robert in short event. It has been a long time since I have been able to manage that. In longer races (half and full marathons) I still expect to pass him at some point during the race, but as we have both improved as runners few have been the occasions where I am able to catch him in a short race. I know he started too fast and the humid conditions got to him, but still passing him with a half mile to go made me smile.

12 weeks to Berlin

2010-07-09T22:36:00.000-04:00

This week marked the beginning of my training for the Berlin Marathon in late September. But unlike other training cycles I will mostly keep this one a bit 'unstructured'.

The only workout that I will follow each week will be the long run on weekends, which will be anything from 18 to 24 miles depending on the week. As for speed work, I will just take part in some short races during these 3 months and that should be Ok. I already run 50-60 mile weeks as is, so I do not think I will have a hard time reaching my goal of maxing out at 70+ miles. However, that will serve more as a guideline than anything else. If in week I fail to reach my expected mileage, I won't lose sleep over it. I have reached a stage in my running experience where I can trust myself and see how my training is unfolding.

Running in this week's hot and humid weather has been very tough. Even at 6am it has been hard to get the workout done. I am not sure I will be able to run a good race tomorrow in this weather. I have been targeting the Dash & Splash 10K for a PR, but I have lowered my expectations and will only try to run a solid under 40 min race under these conditions.

Green Mountain Relay

2010-06-26T13:33:00.000-04:00

When I signed up for this race back in April, I did not realize two important things. First, that it was going to be in the middle of World Cup. And even worse than losing 9 soccer matches, it was the fact that one of those matches would be Brazil playing against a very tough Ivory Coast.

A moment of panic. What do I do? I do not think it would be cool to bail out a week or two before the race, right? With no alternative left, I just had to bite the bullet. I was going to rely on my iPhone and friends texting me to keep me up to date on what was happening in the soccer world.

So last weekend I found myself going up to Vermont with a bunch of strangers plus Robert and running being the only thing in common among us. I was runner #11 and was slated some of the hardest rated legs in the relay, including infamous leg #23 - a long, steep and steady climb over 4 miles in the middle of the night.

If you know me well, you know one thing I am good at is denial. It was only a couple of weeks before the race that I actually printed out course descriptions to realize what actually I was expected to accomplish. To make matters worse, since being a New York runner few are the chance to run hills much less the kind I was going to be facing in Vermont.

Blissfully unaware, I was ready as I could be. First leg was the longest I would run at 9.9 miles and it had a gentle, long climb in the middle, ending with a descent. This ended up being my most satisfying run of the weekend. It was early evening and by then temperature was optimal for running. Running on the Vermont roads was quiet and pleasant with only occasional cars. The middle climb turned out to be fine and in no time I found myself running downhill. I had to control myself not to go too fast and avoid tumbling down. In the end I ran the first leg with an average of 6:35 minute miles.

A few hours later and in the middle of the evening, here I was ready to take on the second leg. It would be a night of firsts. First time running with a reflective vest, headlamp and at 2 o'clock in the morning. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I got. A teammate was not helping matters by telling me that I should have no problem overtaking a runner that was about to start ahead of me -- "can you just shut up" was what I was thinking. And he was right, within the first mile I had already passed 3 runners. I worried I started too strongly and would nothing left later on the run. The steep first part of the climb was as expected tough and but to make matters worse also lonely. There was an occasional van, but no other runner in sight. I was gasping for air when I caught up with my van. They gave me some water, but I could not avoid walking a few hundred yards. By the time I started the second part of the climb I was feeling much better. I was, ironically, glad that a runner was fast approaching me and would overtake me (the only time all weekend long) soon. At least I would not be alone going up the last couple of miles. He would steadily increase his lead, but seeing the little light bouncing up and down pulled me along. I had no time to think of the pain and walking again was not an option. 7:41 was my average pace and, boy, was I happy it was over.

We could only afford less than 90 minutes of sleep until we our van was on again. My last leg seemed on paper the easiest one. I had high hopes for it, but from the start my tummy did not feel well. It was some sort of stomach cramp that coupled with climbing humidity and sleep deprivation, proved to make this run frustrating. I just went with the motions and was looking forward to the exchange. 6:51 pace was at least 30 seconds slower than I had intended to run this portion, but at that point I was just glad I was done.

It was an incredible weekend. The running was amazingly tough and beautiful. My teammates were kind, patient and supportive. I arrived home tired and filthy, but satisfied. And Brazil defeated Ivory Coast 3-1.

World Cup

2010-06-13T00:32:00.000-04:00

One month, every 4 years, soccer games galore. What can I say? I timed my morning run so that I could see the start of the Greece-South Korea match and be able to catch the 2nd half of the most interesting Nigeria-Argentina game.

This sounds totally trite, but one of the things that make NY so great is that it is a magnet to people from all over the world (i.e. me). That is how it felt during my run today. I saw a bunch of people sporting soccer jerseys from Spain, Argentina, England, US, Germany. Bump into 3 Korean guys watching the game in front of a dry cleaning store in Queens and even high five them when Korea scored their second goal. Once back in Manhattan, I got confirmation of Korea's win from one of the many bars open early that were showing the matches.

I got a glimpse of a very pregnant Paula Radcliffe running the Mini in Central Park along with Mary, but I was not able to see Kara Goucher. I felt like shouting "Go USA", but somehow it did not felt appropriate, so I settled with "Way to go Paula!". And on the way back I found out that Argentina scored early from another bar with large flat screen TVs showing the game in the UES.

All these distractions helped the 18 miles I ran today go rather fast. My running has been quite unstructured. Thought I tell my self every week that I should run at least 50 miles, I am playing it by ear. Some days I shorten the run or just scrap it altogether. However, I have been consistently running 2 workouts each week: speedwork sessions (getting ready for another 10K attempt in early July) and long run (15=18 milers).

I am excited about the GMR Team relay next weekend. The only bad think is that I will likely miss Brazil's second group game against a tough Ivory Coast team,. I trust, however, they will play well enough for a win, though I am doubtful Brazil will eventually win the tournament. Oh, that is another blog entry altogether.

Summer Plans

2010-05-15T16:06:00.000-04:00

It has been almost a month since Boston. I have been taking it mostly easy, running around 40 miles a week. I have ran 2 races since then, however.

I raced the Lincoln Tunnel 5K on a rainy day a week after Boston and was happy to go under 20 min. And today, it was the Healthy Kidney 10K, which did not go as well as I planned. I got late to the start and was only able to place myself in the middle of the runners with red bibs. Start was slow and only reached the first mile at 7:20 (1 minute slower than I was intending). Only after Mile 4, I was able to hit my expected pace. In he end I finished at 40:01.

So, I am still searching for that sub-39 race. The next NYRR 10K will be in early July, so I will focus on training for that race and hope to reach my goal. Timing will be great as well, since I do not plan to start training for Berlin in mid-July anyway.

Other than that I will do my first relay team race in mid-June. It will be the Green Mountain Relay in Vermont. Our team is named Slow White and the 11 Dwarves. I got to meet most of my teammates this week and they are a fun bunch. I am looking forward to plenty of uphills, running in the middle of the evening. This promises to be an adventure!

Second Stab at Boston

2010-04-22T12:31:00.001-04:00

Two years ago I came away from Boston with a bitter taste of failure. I made the classic mistake of running a very fast first half and be defeated by the hills in Newton. This time around I came back not really looking for revenge, but rather for redemption.

Already in the train to Boston there were loads of runners who seemed ready to race on Monday. Naturally once we arrived in town all you could see were runners, a sea of them floating all over town. This also meant that the race I had been training for 3 months was fast approaching. I was getting anxious.

Going with Robert, meeting up with his buddy Hans the day before and then former running partner Sarah at the Athlete's Village was a good distraction. We did, of course, talk about running goals, expectations, strategies, but it was also about catching up and trying to get relaxed.

The walk to my corral seemed slow and long, which in a way was good for I did not have much time to brood around for long. The elite men actually passed by my corral as they were presented and got a glimpse of Meb and even got a high five from Ryan Hall, who really seemed psyched behaving almost like a boxer ready for a fight.

In no time the race stars. My strategy going on was to run in the upper 6.30s till the hills and make a go of it once they were over. But the strategy went down the drain very quickly. Again I got caught by the excitement -- other runners and the public's alike -- and was registering low 6.20s for the first 10 miles. But just as we approached Wellesley my quads were starting to burn. I was weary of what happened in 2008, so I started slowing down the pace to mid-6:30s.

Then the hills arrived. I might not have been in the shape I wanted to tackle them, but had no time to think of `what ifs`. First hill, not too bad. 6.38. Second hill, still doing ok. 6.42. Third hill, getting tired. 6.48. Heartbreak Hill, knees high, body perpendicular to elevation, move those arms. 7.04, a struggle, but I was done. No stops, no walking. Phew.

5 miles to Boston. I was not out of the woods yet; you never are till you actually cross the finish line. It is one big decline from here on, but I paid the price for going fast the first half. Actually I was not the only one who did. I was passing others that were at this point going very slowly, walking or even stretching. It reminded me of myself in 2008. I took the remainder of the race mile by mile, averaging 6.40s and making sure I was not about to cramp. A turn here, a turn there and I was on Boylston Street. I could see the finish line looming. One more gasp, an attempt of a sprint, and I crossed the line in 2:53.16.

I wanted to finish the cross line stronger, but it did not happen. While unhappy with the way I raced, I was glad I was experienced enough to be able to salvage it and still come out with a solid time.

Ahead of Boston

2010-04-14T11:17:00.000-04:00

5 days to go and I am still feeling relatively relaxed. But will surely start getting the butterflies every passing day and be a total nervous wreck once I find myself on a bus headed to Hopkington.

I had only last race on Sunday. It was a 4 miler that I used for speed work. I was not going to seriously race it, but still got a PR in out of it. For this week all I have plan are shorter, easy runs. The only hard run will be on Thursday morning where Robert and I will sandwich 5 miles in marathon pace (~6.45s) in between an 8 miler. My last run will be on Saturday morning still in NYC. I head up to Boston on Sunday.

This will be first time that I run a marathon that I have raced before. I have no excuses, I know the course and respect how hard it is. I feel prepared, however. I have done plenty of speedwork, intervals and included hill work. Body seems to be doing fine as well, even my sore left calf is feeling better.

Projected time? Barring any injuries, I should be able run around or below 3 hours. If I feel good, could try a sub-2:55. But more importantly is to erase memories of my failed 2008 race where I started too fast and the Newton and Heartbreak Hills nearly destroyed me. I had to walk for 3 miles. This time around my main goal is to run the whole course.

One of these days...

2010-04-03T12:40:00.001-04:00

... I will put in a solid 10k. I had high hopes that today at the Scotland Run would have been the day that I ran one in the low 38s, even perhaps in the 37s. But it was not to be.

I ran mostly easy run (save intervals on Tuesday) this week and had a fantastic 6 miler Friday morning. My body felt ready! A combination of having my parents for the weekend and a later run start, however, sabotaged those plans. As I woke up my father had prepared breakfast that included eggs, bread, cheese, cold cuts, coffee. I should have known better and stuck with my regular pre-race breakfast of banana and orange juice but could not resist it.

Warm up run felt heavy and slow, but still has hopeful that somehow I would digest breakfast in time and feel good. The race starts and nothing really changed. It just felt laboured throughout. To keep my mind busy I started listing all the famous Scots I could think of. Ewan McGregor, Sean Connery, JK Rolling, Muriel Spark (just read an article about her). Isn't Tony Blair a Scot? Some of my favorite bands are from Scotland: Travis, Glasvegas, Franz Ferdinand. I am a big fan of Ian Rankin books. That kept me going and I was able to consistently run around 6.20s. Never really had a kick at them end but was able to finish the race with a new PR (39.19).

No time to waste and thing about this. Boston is in 2 weeks and that is more important race. Maybe in later in the spring or summer I can race another 10k and perform better.

NYC Half 2010

2010-03-22T15:24:00.004-04:00

The NYC Half which usually takes place in the middle of summer was thankfully moved to Spring this year and this was a very good call. Weather yesterday was perfect for running -- sunny, low 50s.

The main objective for me yesterday was to assess my fitness and to practice for fueling and recovery a month ahead of Boston. I have been healthy (knock on wood) and based on my training the past 2 months was expecting to run well. Therefore I knew that a PR was well within reach and a sub-1:23 (which gives you a automatic entry to NYC marathon) possible if I ran the course wise.

But the day of the race is always tricky. Things do happen that are beyond one's control, so finding myself at the back of my corral all I was thinking was to go cautiously and try to average 6.20 mile splits. With a a couple of Jelly Belly beans in hand remembering to get a sip of Gatorade every 2-3 miles, off we went. For the first couple of miles I tried to keep in mind the elevation, since we would have a second go at it before leaving the Park.

I let my body (i.e. legs) take me as fast as it wanted, not trying to force it to a pace if it was not going to happen. It was a good day. All my splits, except for one (I think it was on the hilly West side of the Park), were below 6.20. And upon reaching 7th Avenue I knew that the harder part of the course was over -- all that was left was basically flat. I started to push it a little bit, though cautiously since at that point my quads were feeling heavy. At any rate, I still felt strong and clocked 2 sub-6 minute miles at Miles 10 and 11. Looking at the split times, my 3rd 10K split (10K to 20K) is actually faster by more than a minute than my official 10K PR.

With a mile to go I as able to close the gap with some runners that I had been tailing (50-100 yards in front) since Central Park. Some of them had a sprint left which I could not respond, but that was OK. I saw Robert cheering for the second time in the race with 800 meters, a last boost and the race was over. Official time was 1:21.15, which is a 3 minute plus improvement from my previous PR.

My quads were stiff from the race effort and the massage after was a bit painful. I just had enough time to greet Robert and Helen (who ran the race in a PR) before running the 10 more miles back home to East Harlem. It was slow, long, at times painful, but I was happy.

First 5k Race

2010-03-07T11:44:00.000-05:00

Back in 2005 when I started racing I started running 4 Mile races before I moved on to longer distances. So I before this morning I had never run a 5K before.

I had no expectations really and was just approaching as one more run or rather as one long speed work out. I am a notoriously slow starter (well, in more ways than one) and usually my body settles only after 6 or 7 miles. So the 4 mile warmup from East Harlem to the start of the race in Washington Heights with Robert would only help me out.

The race lived up to its billing as brutal. No time to think, constant acceleration. The Salsa, Blues & Shamrocks 5K (sponsored by an Irish pub in the middle of a predominantly latino neighborhood) was a tough a course with quite a number of hills. The good think was that it was an out and back race, so we knew where the uphills and downhills on the way back were. Looking at my Garmin I was pleased to learn that my mile splits kept getting faster and I finished the race at a 18:55. The last few yards were agonizing and had I had any food for breakfast I swear I would have left it on the the street.

All in all, it was not a bad way to finish a 68 mile running week. The weather was sunny and upper 40s - just amazing. Running buddies, Baker and Robert, ran faster races in the low 18s.

Snow covered Central Park

2010-02-03T08:09:00.001-05:00

Some pictures from my morning run around Central Park this morning. It was fun!

It is cold out there!

2010-01-30T16:41:00.001-05:00

The thermometer was registering 13F when I left for my long run at 8am this morning. If I did not know that Robert was waiting for me, I might have bailed out. I made the right choice.

Despite the frigid temperature it was a nice day to run -- sunny and almost no wind. There were quite a few runners at that time in Central Park and it made for a nice community of hardcore runners braving the adverse weather.

At the outset we agreed that 7.30s would be a nice pace for our 20 Mile run. But in the end we were only able to hit that target the first 2 mile, from them on we consistently kept getting faster (7.10s average for the first CP loop, 7.00s the second and 6.50s the last loop) despite our best efforts to slow down.

Fitness-wise I am really feeling strong. The last loop in special seemed effortless. I ended up running 20.29 miles at 7.11 mile pace.

NYC Marathon Registration

2010-01-25T12:32:00.002-05:00

I had a guaranteed entry this year (either by time or by not being selected 3 years in a row in the lottery).

So I went to their site filled out the application, paid $100 plus and I am done!

See you on November 7.

First race of the year

2010-01-24T14:10:00.000-05:00

Today's Manhattan Half was not one of my best efforts. Muscle cramps (dehydration, perhaps), between miles 8 and 9, made me stop and for awhile I contemplated giving up the race, since the pain did not seem to go away. I had to re-start 3 times and get some Gatorade into my body before the for the pain became bearable to continue.

But from my 3 mile warm up run I sensed that a PR was not going to be in the books. I had a disastrous Thursday run that was cut from a planned 10 miler into only 2. So I ran both Friday and Saturday more than 10 miles each day to compensate. Though the runs were not really hard, I was missing a spring in my step during warm up and I knew this was not going to be the day I went under 1:23 in a half.

Coming to my corral just in the nick of time before they closed them, I quickly lowered my expectations and would be happy to run something close to 1:25. The race starts and the first mile is crowded. By the time we make the first pass at the Cat Hill I able to spot Helen, who was trying to run under 1:30 and just missed it by 3 seconds (yikes!). I kept running steadily in the 6.20-6.30 range for most of the first CP loop. I was hoping to spot and join Robert at some point but that would only happen after the race. While he would go on to run a 1:23.46 half, abdominal pain would start bothering just before the 102nd St. transverse. I would stop and try to run at least 3 times until I could go on. The funny thing is that while I was trying to see if I could continue, I kept on passing the same runners a few times. One of the runners tired of seeing me pass by, gave me this startled 'not you again' look.

Final time was 1:27.15 which was not bad given the circumstances. I will have another go at the half PR in couple of months at the NYC Half. I should be more prepared and further in my Boston training. Also the weather will much nicer!

Finding Motivation

2010-01-13T17:11:00.000-05:00

It has been cold up here in the Northeast the beginning of the year -- well, it has been cold overall in most of the northern hemisphere, even in Florida it has been in the 20s.

I am struggling to find motivation to do my runs. The cold weather definitely does not help. I am not venturing much outside and I have been running mostly indoors. This, on the other hand, brings another problem -- treadmill is boring. So, between the cold weather and the treadmill, I have been making up excuses not to run or to cut short my mileage.

I have a half-marathon next weekend and not so sure how I will do, since I have not been running as much as I should. Boston training is supposed to start this week, so I hope to get out of this funk soon.

Running in 2010

2010-01-01T16:59:00.001-05:00

New Year's Eve was a quiet affair. Long has been the times when I would spend the whole evening awake to celebrate the coming of a new year. Never enjoyed quite that much back then, less even now. After spending most of the afternoon making sure that my apartment `looked` decent and clean, I met up with friends in a bar downtown. We roamed to a few other places till it stroke 12 and when they decided to go Brooklyn, it was my cue to go back home. I was nice and cozy in bed by 1am.

My first run in the new decade (Is it really a new decade? Does it not start with a `1`? Or was there ever a year `0`?) was longish 12M in Central Park this morning. The park still looked amazing with still a coat of snow from yesterday`s storm. Sadly I neglected to bring my camera with me. I threw a fartlek in the middle to spice it up a bit. I felt flat throughout the run, not sure if it was the drinking from last evening (though I hardly drank anything and felt file in the morning). At any rate, just hope this is not a harbinger for the rest of the year.

I will finish with my wishes of a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Last race of the year

2009-12-20T16:08:00.001-05:00

The Ted Corbitt 15K took place on a frigid 26F cloudy Saturday morning. We just missed the snowstorm that braced New York City that started around noon yesterday. Right now as I peer through my window I can see a foot of snow that has coated the city overnight.

I started at near the front of the corral with Robert this time around. I wanted to avoid being stuck with slower runners and not able to hit my target of a sub-1 hour race. I was able to find my rhythm early on and already by mile 1 I joined a pack of 2-3 runners running in the high 6:10s with Robert was just a few yards behind us. I was able to move ahead of this group when a runner wearing a singlet with Portuguese written on it passed us (I was never able to find the runner at the end to find out whether he was indeed Brazilian). I was running with him and really fast woman when one of my shoelaces came undone (something that has been happening a lot to me lately in my regular runs). I had to go to the side and when I went back to the course, I was passed by the pack of guys that I had ditched as well as Robert.

In a way that became an incentive. I did not want to think about the clock and concentrated on only chasing them. By the time we hit the top of Cat Hill I had already caught up to Robert and together we were able to slowly join the group of runners I ran with in the beginning of the race. On mile 6 I was already in front of this group and then ditched them for a second time. Soon on my sights was the guy with the singlet in Portuguese. After passing him, the woman I was running with on mile 4 was yards in front of me. I eventually passed her before mile 8.

All I had left was 1.3 miles to go, but all the effort I did started to take its toll. I had no kick at the end and saw myself being passed by a few runners yards away from the finish line. By all in all, I am please with my 59.09 time. It is an improvement of more than 3 minutes from my previous 15K back in March. I was pleased to finish the year with another PR, despite the shoelace problem and the arctic weather.

Thinking ahead

2009-12-13T18:17:00.002-05:00

With this coming Sunday`s Ted Corbit 15K, my racing this year will come to an end. After Philadelphia I was eager to come back to competition. Though my fitness has suffered, I am happy that I have bounced back to running and racing quicker than previous marathons. I am also already thinking ahead and filling up my 2010 racing calendar.

I will probably start my racing season with the Manhattan Half in late January. Despite being the middle of winter, I might as well get myself used to running in frigid weather if I am to get in good shape for further races later on in the year. I really dislike cold weather and though I did ran a 14 miler in yesterday`s 30F weather, I never felt comfortable; it was just bearable.

The good thing about running a sub-2:55 marathon is that I have guaranteed entries for both the NYC Half in March and NYC Marathon in November. Not being dependent on the lottery gives me the ability to plan ahead and have to find alternatives plans in case my entry number is not drawn.

The focus for the spring, however, will be the Boston Marathon. Last time I ran there, it left a bad taste in my mouth. This time around I plan to train for it properly and run smartly. I do not want to make the same mistakes of running the first part too quickly, only to hit the wall at the hills and walk for 3 miles. I want to run all the way through and have fun in the process.

I am also toying with the idea of running a small marathon in Lake Placid in mid-June. The route promises to be scenic and it will be good opportunity to see how my running is going before the summer and my preparation for Berlin in late September. This will probably the centerpiece of my racing next year. The course is flat and is known to be conducive for world records. So if I am to improve my marathon time, this should be the one I am focusing on. Besides it will give me an opportunity to come back to such a great town and it will be the third of the marathon majors that I will have run (I will leave London and Chicago for 2011).

Then there is NYC in November of course. I hope that Selma gets in through the lottery. I promised her that I would run it with her. It will be her first marathon and the city is at its best. It is such a pleasure to see the crowds, especially for two New Yorkers like us.

Joe Kleinerman 10K

2009-12-06T23:27:00.000-05:00

This morning was my return to racing. After the high of 2 weeks ago, I was sure I would not PR, but nevertheless this morning's performance left me a bit disappointed. I guess it is the competitor in me who wants to always do better.

Regardless of my own feelings, I had a solid run and finished only 20 seconds from my 10K best of 39.29 (official time was 39.50). The week after the marathon I only ran 7 miles and this week I finished with 28 miles (including the race). I realized that I lost some of the fitness gained and besides I sort of sabotaged my own performance by drinking quite a bit of alcohol and going to bed late the night before.

I need to start these shorter races much further in front in the corral. I found myself with a lot of people around me and my trying to pass them by zigzagging contributed to a slow start (6.52 and 6.39 mile pace for the first 2 miles). Only by mile 3 I was able to find my rhythm and posted sub-6.20 mile pace for the next 3 miles. Final mile came and I felt I had a chance, at least, to get a sub-40 minute race. I mustered all the strength I could gather and went for it. With the final 1.2 miles averaging 5.52 pace, I reached my objective with 10 seconds to spare. It felt great to finish strong and pass other runners right at the end of the race.

I have a 15K race in 2 weeks in which I hope to do much better and race a sub-1 hour PR. With that race I will close this calendar year's quite successful season

Back to running

2009-11-27T16:08:00.000-05:00

Before the marathon last Sunday I had vowed I would take a whole week free of any physical activity. I cancelled my regular, weekly session with my Personal Trainer and was thinking I would only resume running next Tuesday. But I got the itch this morning and went for a short 3 miler here in Pennsylvania.

I usually take longer breaks after I complete a marathon. When I finished NYC in 06 it took more than a month to get back to running and even then it took me probably 6 months to really fell like running, not only a chore I had to do 4-5 times a week. After St. Louis in April I planned a vacation right after the race and it was 3 weeks after I put on running shoes again.

This time around I guess because I have no scheduled vacation and/or the fact that I exceed my expectations, I found myself motivated to run again. I am really eager to keep the running shape I am and maybe even improve. I even have a 10k already scheduled for next weekend.

The run itself was rougher than I had expected. It was easy run, but still feeling the after effects of the race, especially on my calves.

Philadelphia Marathon 09

2009-11-23T10:51:00.003-05:00

Where to begin...

This is hands down the best race I have ever ran. I can't quite describe the exhilaration of running those last few miles knowing that I was going to finish it well under my 3 hour goal. And I was doing it strongly too, even finding the strength to cheer on some fellow runners who were slowing down at the end.

I came into this race with a 3:05.02 marathon PR achieved in April in St. Louis. 7 months on, with some solid and proper training under my belt and more importantly being healthy, I was able to drop 13 minutes off of that time and finished at 2:51.52 time.

I wanted to start the race slower to figure out how my body was doing. At the corral I found the 3 hour pace setters and ran 20-30 yards behind them the first 6 miles or so. I knew they would pace me at low 6.50s. At that point all I wanted was to get my body going and still be on target. Around mile 7 I felt strong and adventurous enough to skip ahead of them, and started running in the low 6.30s, high 6.20s. I felt good and was not worried about hitting the wall later on.

I hit the mid-way point at around 1:27.30, which was 90 seconds faster than planned. Also I started sighting Robert just ahead of me and was eager to join him. I finally caught up at around mile 16 and we ran together for a mile or so before he told me to just go ahead.

Up to mile 20 in Manayunk I was still averaging around 6.30s and still feeling quite good. My strategy of focusing on each mile at a time was paying off - I wanted to just reach the next mile and not freak thinking that I still had so many miles left ahead of me. The turnaround in Manayunk was when I realized that I was going to run under 3 and actually started running faster. Those were the fastest splits of the entire race; the last 6 miles were ran under 6.20. And my confidence grew as I was gaining on so many other runners.

The end of the race was just a big mess, as other bloggers already have reported. Marathoners, half-marathoners or marathoners still finishing the first half all jumbled together. Really confusing.

But all`s well what end`s well. I ran the second half of the race close to my Half PR of 1:24.30 and the last 6 miles in about 40min. The most amazing part is that my body right now feels great, save my quads are only a bit sore.

It was an amazing day!

A shout to Robert who also ran an under 3 marathon at 2:57.52. Way to go Raccoons!

And to Darien. She was all set to run her first marathon, but ITB problems just 10 days prior to race day hampered her training. She bravely started the race, but was only able to run the Half course. Many more marathons will come her way. I am sure I will see her running again soon, healthy and faster.

Got the bib and ready to go

2009-11-21T19:58:00.000-05:00

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Pre-race rituals

2009-11-19T20:21:00.000-05:00

3 days too go...

I started carbo loading yesterday. I have been eating bread, pasta, rice as well as fruits and veggies. Right now I am preparing risotto with mushrooms and asparagus. A recipe I found once in Runners World, I think. Also had my last alcoholic drink till after the race yesterday. I will try to cut off coffee, but not sure successful I will be about that.

On Tuesday I had my last hard run. It was a 10-miler with miles 5 to 9 at my projected marathon pace of 6.44. Yesterday and this morning with Robert I ran slow and easy 6 milers. I am scheduled to run a 5 mile run before the race, but still undecided whether that will be tomorrow or Saturday morning before going to Philadelphia.

To achieve my under 3 hour marathon. I will try to keep a 6.45 minute mile pace through the race. That would be give me a 2:57 marathon. A 6.51 would be enough for my goal, but might as well aim a little higher and give me some cushion. I am hoping to run the first half in around 1:29 and than try to keep it up till end. Well, that is the plan.

Other than that things seem to be under control. I got my gels for fueling during the race. Bought throwaway gloves and headgear. I am ready to go. Hope it pans out...

Being lazy

2009-11-15T21:25:00.003-05:00

It has been quite sometime, since I last posted anything to this blog. Ever since I got back from my European trip, I have been finding excuses not to write. Maybe I am just not inspired to share anything, maybe just plain lazy.

But whatever the reason for my silence, you would be happy to know that running itself has been quite productive. The last I wrote I was about to start my training for the Philadelphia Marathon. Well, time has passed quite quickly and next Sunday will be race day. My goal of a sub-3 hour marathon is within reach I feel. Whether it is going to happen or not, only time will tell. At least I know I have given myself a shot at it.

I know I am in great shape, in better shape than last year when I got injured 3 weeks prior to this same marathon. Maybe a year older, more experienced, going to Zap Camp in NC or just running with others, such as Robert, has made me a wiser runner.

I remember training for NYC in 2006 and thinking that 40 miles a week were a lot. And this was only easy runs mind you. No, tempo, intervals let alone drills or strides. 3 years on and this time around I maxed out at 65 miles a week, peppered with all sorts of un-imaginable workouts only a year back. Amazing how the body adapts to all the pounding. A few years back an 18 mile long run would sap me out of all my energy the entire weekend. This time around I would hardly feel in the afternoon the effects of the 23 miler I had run in the morning.

At any rate, I feel ready. This week will be all about resting and fueling. Good thing that things are busy at work. This way I will not overthink about the race. No time to get anxious. Just try to be focused and concentrated for the big day. I know many things can happen on race day. I might have a day off. Or have a very inspiring day. But I can't control that right now.

I promise to keep you posted...

End of the journey

2009-08-30T03:22:00.000-04:00

I just got my train from Aarhus and am heading back to Berlin. Tonite I will have one last dinner with Dana and Simon, and then tomorrow morning head back to New York.

As I write the flat, beautiful and bucolic Danish landscape and marvel at this amazing weather. On one side I see dark clouds looming and drizzle. But on the other almost clear skies with the sun trying to make an appearance.

And it is these "little" things that I will remember most from these 2 weeks. There was plenty of museums, monuments, events that I saw, but in the end of the day other moments will linger longer in my mind. Playing beach volleyball and drinking mimosas and beer during a 7-hour boat trip around Berlin, or playing Guitar Hero and driving through some of Jutland's landscape with Christian.

Then there's also all the running routes I discovered. Pavement, grass, trail - no matter the surface, each one was as exciting. And whether it is in the quiet woods in Aarhus or the busy streets in Berlin, runners are all the same really. We are always in our own little worlds but always find time to acknowledge each other - maybe it is a simple greeting or a smile.

It was not the goal but rather the journey to get there that it made the experience so alive. While I miss home, friends, family, my bed. I wished the trip would last a little bit longer. But then that is what makes it a worthwhile trip - the desire to continue the journey.
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Running on vacation

2009-08-27T18:18:00.000-04:00

I have been in Aarhus since Tuesday. This is the second biggest town in Denmark but it feels quite deserted. Society here is still quite homogeneous ethnically, so whenever I am running I always get curious looks by the occasional passerby or cyclist.

In Berlin, on the other hand, things are quite different. I do not standout at all. I would see people around all the time either other runners or people just walking in the streets, doing their daily chores or hanging out having a beer. Simon actually just started running this summer and he would join me every once in a while. I actually borrowed one of his routes and made it my favourite. Close to their apartment is the Landwehrkanal, which crosses town from east to west. Running by the water, seeing the changes in scenery and being so close to nature made me forget at times that I was in such a big and historical city.

Temperatures in Denmark have been mostly in the high sixties and perfect for running (it is about 10-15 degrees colder than in Berlin). Instead of trails, I have been running mostly on asphalted bikes paths behind Christian's house. There is also a wooded area where I come across a runner or two every once in a while, but it is mostly people with their dogs. The area is not very long, so I find myself having to make loops.

I do not think I miss New York yet. I know it is going to be warm and humid and I will miss Berlin scenery and the Danish weather.

Alberto Salazar in red waiting for Kara

2009-08-23T07:37:00.000-04:00

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Wallking event in front of Brandenburg Gate

2009-08-21T05:42:00.000-04:00

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NYC Half

2009-08-19T14:57:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday it was the NYC Half. I purposely came into the race with little or no expectations.

I knew it was going to be really warm - mid 70s already at 7am. And I was not sure how fresh my legs were going to be since I had already ran around 50 miles that week before the race. But on the other hand I knew I had been running well since coming back from North Carolina. So the strategy was to run a conservative first half and run the second half faster. I was hoping to run as close to my 1h25 PR.

Well the strategy to run conservatively went up in smoke from the beginning. I ran the first 2 miles in at 6.20 pace when 20 seconds slower would have been what I intended. But I was tagging these 3 Polish and feeling good. I did slow down to around 6.30 pace till Mile 6 or so and by that time had left the Polish runners behind.

Leaving Central Park meant that the hilly section was behind and I could attempt to force the pace. On 7th Avenue and Times Square I ran just below 6.20. Surprinsingly I still felt good but did slow down to 6.25s from Miles 9 to 12. Despite going slower I was passing people by and that felt really satisfying.

Going into final mile I picked pace once again and did it in just under 6.10.

Overall kept a steady pace with 5Ks in the 20min range and the 2nd half slightly faster. Now I have a new PR of 1h24m35 officially.

Despite the humidity and high temperatures weather was never an issue since I made a point of drinking at every station and took a couple of those nasty energy gels.

As I was finishing the race the female winner Paula Radcliffe was being interviewed. If you watch that interview you can see me passing by totally drenched in sweat and water.
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German winning gold

2009-08-19T12:35:00.000-04:00

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Inside the stadium

2009-08-19T05:52:00.000-04:00

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Olympic Stadium

2009-08-19T05:51:00.000-04:00

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Running in Berlin

2009-08-19T05:28:00.000-04:00

I arrived at 8am local time this Tuesday in Berlin and only managed around 30min of sleep on the plane. By the time I arrived at their place it was closer to lunchtime so we went for lunch and a quick walk around the neighborhood.

Coming back I was exhausted! So it was either go sleep or go for a run. I elected for the run, of course. I ran a slow 7 mile route that took me to the Spree River, to 2 of the various parks of town and even to some part of the Wall that is still standing. There is history and culture all over this town. I hope to explore more of it, especially since it is so friendly to runners and cyclists.

Back home after a nice dinner, I managed to stay awake till 11pm. Woke up early and already managed to run 6.5 miles this morning. Now I am off to the Olympic Stadium and see some of the track and field championships.
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Running by the canal

2009-08-19T03:22:00.000-04:00

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What's left of the wall

2009-08-18T09:07:00.000-04:00

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Sculpturr on the Spree - downtown Berlin in background

2009-08-18T08:46:00.000-04:00

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Berlin graffitti

2009-08-18T08:40:00.000-04:00

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Going back to Manhattan

2009-08-13T11:56:00.000-04:00

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The Hudson River

2009-08-13T11:46:00.000-04:00

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Running on Triboro bridge

2009-08-13T11:43:00.000-04:00

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Duel in the Sun

2009-07-28T11:11:00.002-04:00

Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar in their famed Duel in the Sun 1982 Boston Marathon Race.

Running camp in North Carolina

2009-07-22T16:12:00.002-04:00

On Sunday I arrived in Blowing Rock in North Carolina for a week long adult running camp.

I chose to come to Zap Fitness Camp because I had heard great things about it online and also because I had never been this part of the country. We are in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the views are simply amazing. We have been doing lots of hill work which is something I had not done much and which I was craving in doing.

We are runners of different skills sets and all have different goals coming in. It is a nice mix. And the runs and talks are quite informative and instructive. It is also neat that we are able to interact with the resident pro athletes who can give us insights in the elite level.

I want to come out of here motivated and ready to believe that I can improve and break that 3 hour mark in the marathon.

Yesterday night we had an amazing presentation by Dick Beardsley. He is known for the Duel in Sun with Alberto Salazar in the 82 Boston Marathon. He talked about his unorthodox beginning as a runner but also about his post-runner life full of accidents and drug addiction. But throughout he never ceased to believe in himself and he wanted to let us know that we should not either.

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Running in Quebec

2009-07-12T15:11:00.002-04:00

I am taking time off of work and have been traveling a little bit. Right now I am in St-Zotique in Quebec visiting friends and meeting their 2-month old baby.

Around here there is a 100-mile plus network of bike paths where I am doing my running. There is access to the path just behind their house and it has been fun. There are not many runners but the cyclists around are very friendly, though my French is limited to 'bonjour' and 'merci'.

On Friday I ran 13 miles and went from St-Zotique to the city of Valleyfield on an island on the Saint Lawrence. I crossed the river, went through a Quebec hydroelectric and the woods. When I found myself in town there was a some famous speed boat competition taking place, so I spent some time looking at the boats and soaking the sun before I made my way back.

Today I ran 10 miles along the network of canals. It was mostly overcast and it felt great running.

Running is going very well, I think. I am trying to take the over 10 miles runs nice and easy. And I surprise myself that I have been running under 7min miles in the middle of the runs without really trying. Granted that it is mostly flat except for the bridges which have some elevation.

I will try to explore some of the other paths around here before it is time to go back to New York.

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Long Run

2009-06-21T15:07:00.001-04:00

I am still trying to make up my mind on which marathon(s) I will be racing this fall. I am almost sure that I will sign up for Philadelphia, since I would like to run the race I should have ran last fall when I got injured. Also I am trying to decide whether running Toronto 5 weeks prior to Philly would be feasible. I guess what I need to do is to just sign up for both and be done with this indecision.

At any rate, I am unofficially training for Toronto already. I am following the training program found in the Boston Marathon site with some modifications to bring my level of fitness up. I am following the tempo and interval runs, but have not been running on Fridays and have been swimming instead. In a couple of weeks I need to make a final decision since I should start training by the last week of June if I decide to run on October 18.

Yesterday I had a long run. Lately I have been feeling quite sanguine about my running, I am feeling that I have been running much better with my injuries not bothering lately. I ran 15 miles yesterday morning and a steady 7.18-7.20 minute mile pace through mile 12. I tried running the last 3 miles at under 7min pace, but ran Mile 13 way too fast at 6.45 and paid at the end by only managing to run the remaining 2 miles in just about 7min. Overall I am glad with the effort and hope to keep on improving.

2:25 Challenge

2009-06-15T17:45:00.003-04:00

I came across this funny story the other day.

Tom Bedford, the son of the London Marathon race director bet his father (after a couple of drinks in a pub, of course) that he could run a sub 2:25 marathon if properly trained. And his father took up on the bet!

He has 3 years to accomplish and all bets against him go to the Entoto Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for health care for Ethiopians to gain access to health care needs.

So far he 'failed' twice. He ran a 2:33 in the Marine Corps Marathon and recently ran a 2:47 in San Diego. In his latest attempt he was actually paced by Ryan Hall and Josh Cox. Here is the interview he gave afterwards.

If you are a betting person go ahead.

NYRR Dash 10K

2009-06-14T17:44:00.002-04:00

The race went better than I had expected.

Based on my training and previous races, I thought that I should be shooting at something between 41 and 42 minutes. The beginning as usual felt crowded. There should really be more definition in the corrals, since I felt I was bumping into so many runners, trying to dodge the slower races.

At any rate, once the 1st mile or so things started open up and I could start running more freely. I pretty much kept a steady pace in the high 6:20s min/miles through Mile 5 and was pleased that I was catching quite a few runners.

I wanted to finish strong and felt that I could push the pace in the final mile. One other runner joined me and we passed at least 10 runners before the finish line. Our pace for the final mile and quarter was 6:05 min/mile. My final time was 40.16 - NYRR's site has my gun time of 40.37 and not net time.

All of a sudden I feel positive about my training. A few days back I was even considering taking time off of running, since my knee and shin were really bothering me and I was even struggling with cardio. This week I gambled and decided to introduce intervals and tempo runs into my training and I guess it payed off. Almost overnight the pain is barely noticeable and cardiowise I feel I improved. One thing I must add to training, however, is hill work. I really struggled at Cat Hill around Mile 5 of the race.

Fall Marathon

2009-06-03T21:50:00.003-04:00

I just checked my status for the NYC Marathon and found out that my lottery number was not selected once again! Very disappointed, but at least now I know and can think of alternatives for the fall.

Also I am assured that 2010 I will be running NYC since this is the third year in a row that my lottery number was not drawn.

National Running Day

2009-06-03T20:04:00.003-04:00

Instead of taking the subway, I ran to work this morning. I ran 6 miles and it took me 42:41 (a 7:06 mile pace). Not a bad time I think, given the stop lights and human traffic. It felt good! I may try to do this every once in a while when the weather is nice.

Check out my route

If you are experiencing problems with the link, copy and paste the following URL directly into your Internet browser
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/6477826

NYC Marathon Lottery

2009-06-03T06:41:00.002-04:00

Lottery takes place throughout the day today! Check out the site regularly and good luck!

Brooklyn Half

2009-05-31T07:53:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I ran the first race since St. Louis. I only resumed running 3 weeks ago and it showed. The race was tough and rough.

Robert and I started our hike down to Prospect Park at 6am, which we thought would leave us with plenty of time. But trying to find the baggage drop off place and queuing up for the toilets, left us just barely enough time to go to our start corral. In a way, this initial hustle actually helped me take my mind off my the race jitters.

I knew coming into the race that I was not going to perform to the best that I could. I was still trying to get back in shape after taking a few weeks off after the marathon, but also my right knee and left shin are still bothering -- these are the same injuries that were plaguing me before St. Louis. Therefore, I set the goal of running the half under 1:30, or 6:52 per mile pace.

And that's exactly what I did. The first part of the race in Prospect Park was crowded. There were about 10,000 runners and the second loop around the park was chaotic. The slower runners took over both lanes and I found myself trying to dodge them the best I could. Up to that point I was running at 6:51 pace according to my Garmin 405 (Yes, I finally succumbed to the pressure and have named it "Sillitoe" - a literary reference for those curious about it.)

Getting into Ocean Avenue was a relief. No more human traffic. But then for me the most challenging aspect of the race started. First it was hot, hotter than I expected. It was probably in the high 70s, low 80s (at least it felt like it). And fluid stations were few and far between. And though I kept running well (I was at one point running a 6:47 pace), I knew I would not be able to sustain it. I kept looking at my watch and hoping that the next mile marker would arrive. Also the flatness of this part bothered me, I wanted some hills or something to get me going. Mentally it was not good for me to see ahead how much more it was left till the end and quite daunting that there was quite a lot.

Mile 10 to 12 were the hardest, I started to feel a bit light in the head and was afraid I would pass out. At one point as well, I almost puked but since the only thing I had to eat in the morning was yogurt, nothing came out. I realized that I slowed down, but tried to keep on moving forward and follow whoever was in front of me. I even stopped at a fluid station to get a drink - something that I usually do not do. But Mile 12 came and I knew I would finish. I picked up the pace a bit once I hit the boardwalk in Coney Island and was able to finish in just under my goal at 1:29.51.

The knee or the shin never really bothered me. I am hoping that with the strength training and stretching I have been doing they will just go away. But getting used to long distances is what I need to work on as well as doing speed work.

Afterward Robert and I bumped into an old running buddy of ours, Baker, and the three of us sat down on a table along the boardwalk. We had beer and saw the other runners finish their race.

Kara Goucher's tip on running a first marathon

2009-05-20T15:37:00.002-04:00

Kara's interview was published on today's NYT. It is good to know that even elite runners are intimidated by the distance. Just like all of us she was "terrified of the distance and the pain." They, of course, have different expectations, but the satisfaction of finishing 26.2 miles is all the same.

Healthy Kidney 10K

2009-05-16T10:41:00.002-04:00

Whenever I take part of a race, I never get to see the professional runners racing. This morning was the Healthy Kidney 10K. I did not sign up for the race, so I decided to go, cheer and see the professionals in action.

Here are some pictures:
Race leader
The chasing pack
Winner giving interviews
Other top finishers

Back to running

2009-05-09T15:15:00.000-04:00

After 3 weeks, I finally went for a run this morning.

Right after the marathon I went on vacation to India. Conditions over there were not that conducive to running - 100F, pollution, besides I just wanted to a break from even thinking about anything running related.

I did miss running and wanted to start running right after my arrival this Wednesday. However, I came back with a cold that I probably caught from an air condition in one of the rooms I stayed over there.

This morning I felt fine enough and did a slow 3-miler. Body mostly felt good, just need to get back into the rhythm once again. I have already a Half-Marathon in 3 weeks, which I will take more of a fun run. Also have signed up for other couple of races for the summer.

This was waiting for me when I arrived this morning. Ha!

2009-05-06T14:19:00.000-04:00

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St Louis Marathon

2009-04-20T09:59:00.003-04:00

I accomplished 2 of my objectives coming into the race. I got my BQ (exactly a year from today) and have a new PR of 3h05!

It was lucky that the day before the race my friend drove me around most of the course. I got myself familiar with landmarks and especially with elevation. It was good to know what to expect so that I would be able to pace myself accordingly.

Besides the minor injuries in my right knee and left calf, my biggest worry was the weather. Thunderstorms were being predicted. Therefore I was fearful on how this was going to affect performance. Luckily thunderstorms never materialized. Instead a steady drizzle greeted us at the beginning and it was never much of a nuisance in the end.

The race itself started with us facing the arches and going into the direction of the Budweiser factory. The first 2 miles, I ran around 6.40s pace mile, but I knew I would not be able to sustain the pace. Besides that the marathon, half marathon and the marathon relay events started bunched together. I did not want to get carried away by starting too fast. Therefore I settled into a more reasonable rhythm of around 7.00min pace.

At around mile 9 marathon and half marathon runners were divided and finally could clearly distinguish who the other marathoners were. At this stage we were nearing Forest Park, my legs were still fine and I was keeping pace well.

Somewhere past mile 13 my legs started feeling heavy. My quads started to feel like stones and I worried about the hilly portion from miles 16 to 19. But I trudged along and hit mile 21 under 2h27, still running just under 7min mile pace.

Then trouble started. My right calf started to twitch and knew that I could cramp soon just like in Boston. To avoid this I had fueling myself steadily with Gatorade every mile or so. And took the energy gels every 30 to 40 minutes. In the end this was helpful. I naturally slowed down to an average of 7.20s but the cramps never came, though I would kept feeling a twitch here and there every half mile or so. I kept moving and even passed a couple of runners the last 2 miles. Seeing the arches again (despite the heavy fog) and the rain getting stronger just made me more anxious to get to the finish line.

It came soon enough and wished I had a sprint left in me to finish under 3h05 (official time was 3h05m02). But I can relax knowing that I will be running Boston next year. I will surely be running another marathon in the fall, hopefully NYC, when I hope to have a stab at the under 3h marathon. Till then it will be shorter races. I already signed up for the Brooklyn half in 6 weeks and that I will run for fun.

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Running shoes after a rainy marathon

2009-04-19T11:51:00.001-04:00

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Two days to go

2009-04-17T12:11:00.000-04:00

Can`t believe that I will running a marathon in 2 days time. I am as ready as I can be, I think. I am still skeptical about the 12-week program, but I will let you know the final verdict on Sunday.

I have been going with the motion the past 2 weeks. The 15miler last week went mostly fine and finished the last 10 miles at 6.55 minute per mile. The only other important run was the 8miler that I ran early this week, again with the last 5 miles at 6.55 pace. Other than that the other runs have been short and at an easy pace. I have one last run left which will be a 3miler, which am planning to run early tomorrow morning before I fly to St. Louis.

I know what I will be doing regarding fueling and my friends in St. Louis will be driving me around part of the course on Saturday, so I can get familiar with some landmarks. I guess the only issue will be the weather since rain is being predicted. Oh well, we can't have everything. At least it will be in upper 50s.

And the good news is that both my knee and calf are actually feeling fine. Almost no pain and the best they have felt in the past 2 weeks. I hope they hold up until the end of the race on Sunday.

Last Long Run

2009-04-09T08:26:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday I ran an 18 Miler. Three loops around Central Park. I am almost recovered from my cold, so I wanted to see how fit I was. The run yielded both good and bad things.

My overall pace was just around my desired marathon pace (6:54 mile per minute) which is great. I ran the tow loops at sub 6:50 pace and was fine till probably Mile 16 or 17, but then started to cramp. This is making me suspicious that I am running too fast a pace and that I should hold back during race itself to a more comfortable pace and make sure that I will not cramp at the end.

I have been toying with pace calculators to see possible goal times. I know that for me I need a 3:15 marathon for a BQ, which I should be more than able to run (if I run the whole thing, I mean). But knowing myself, I would disappointed should I not run in at least under 3:10 and possibly set a PR of under 3;06. The sub-3 marathon is still the super goal, a life goal I could say. But that will come only under perfect circumstances, which I thing will not happen in St. Louis.

Also my left calf is still sore, but hoping that the slow/low milage starting tomorrow will help it heal in time before the big day.

I am running later on today a the last longish run of 15 miler (with the last 10 miles at marathon pace). Since this is in the middle of the week, I will run after work on the West side along the Hudson. Then only easy runs (4-8M) till next race day.

Now it is carbo loading and no coffee nor alcohol. After the race I will off for 2 week on vacation! Can't wait.

Tapering

2009-04-02T12:13:00.000-04:00

It is only 17 days till St. Louis Marathon.

I am all set with tickets and place to stay. I think I am going to wear the Asics GT-2130 that I have been mostly used for training for the race. They have just over 400 miles right now, but have been breaking my other pair of Asics right now. I do not want to use a pair that is less than 100 miles in them, besides the old one are so comfortable and have been my most reliable companion. It would be a shame not to have them with me for the race.

Also I have been thinking about fueling during the race. I think I will take an energy gel prior to start of the race and then every 6 miles up to Mile 18, and then take the last one on Mile 22.

Runningwise, I have an 18 mile this week and then a 15 mile run next Thursday. I am really sure what to expect for the race. The abbreviated 12 week training program really brought up my running fitness fine with lots of speedwork in the beginning, but since there was only two 20 mile runs scheduled not sure how my body will behave running the whole distance. Besides all these small aches and pains (the latest one being a sore left calf) have hampered my training. I am moving on. I will be happy with running the whole way and getting a Boston Qualifier.

Economic slowdown

2009-03-29T12:26:00.002-04:00

The global economic downturn is now also affecting elite Kenyan runners.

Colon Cancer 15K

2009-03-22T15:13:00.004-04:00

I toyed about not running this one since I had not been feeling that well the past few days. But I just dragged myself out of the house and was at the staring line at 10.15am. The corrals were crowded and placed myself way at the back of mine. I was not going to try to push the first few files to see how I would be feeling.

To back track a little bit, both my knees have been bothering the past couple of weeks which is not a big deal so far, though I feel discomfort every once in a while while running. Also since Friday, I have had a slight fever and my throat sore. And to add to all this I ran a 16 miler yesterday morning, so my legs are really tired. Obviously these are not the ideal conditions for racing. My goal was to try run it under 1:05 which would be a bit slower than the time the 10-Mile race I ran a month ago.

The knees proved to be a moot point. At no time I felt that they were bothering me, so this is good news. I ran the first few files cautiously (around 7 minute miles), but I hit a stride from them on and ran consistently in the 6:30s. But I felt that I could not push it further, the flu or whatever bug that I have was preventing me from running faster. Also yesterday's long run started taking its toll at the end, especially the last two mile. Usually I have a kick at the end of races, but today the kick was not as strong.

Well, at the end I ran it in 1:02.02 (6.39 pace). I still have the goal of running a 15K in less than an hour. But I am glad with the time given where my training is at this point and how I have been feeling physically.

George Washington Bridge

2009-03-21T18:36:00.006-04:00

Here are some pictures from my run this morning.

Hudson River, Manhattan and Jersey

George Washington Bridge

Below the bridge

I ran 16 miles and went north the Riverside Path up to under the GW. Nice gorgeous day for running. Too bad I had a sore throat and slight fever. But it was worth going up there. Maybe next time I will go beyond the bridge or even cross it. The knees are OK, I felt both of them at some point or another but not enough to make me stop. I am doing lots of stretching and strengthening exercises.

Tomorrow morning I have a 15K race. Not sure how I will feel in the morning so have no high expectations. I will write on that later.

Mid-week longish run

2009-03-19T15:40:00.003-04:00

I had a longer than usual mid-week run yesterday evening. It was amazing!

I knew I would never be able to drag myself out of bed early enough to run before work, so I planned for an evening run instead. It was a good choice. I ran 13 miles after work in lower Manhattan and the weather was just simply perfect for an early evening run. It was sunny and in the low 50s. With so many runners and bikers enjoying the nice weather.

I did five 2 milers at expected marathon pace of 6:55 minute mile, with a steady half-mile recovery between repeats. I started at the 23rd St NYHRC, went west to the Hudson River path south to Battery Park and then up the East River path to Montgomery Street and then back again to the gym.

It is going to be a busy weekend as well. I am planning to run a 16 miler at 7:30 minute mile on Saturday morning and then have a 15K race on Sunday morning.

The knees are doing OK, but definitely sore.

Running injured

2009-03-15T14:08:00.001-04:00

Dear reader(I know there is one or two out there!), sorry for not having written in a while. I must confess that I have been purposely avoiding writing.

The right knee (the "good" one) has been bothering me for over a week now. It is mild bout of runner's knee -- again! I strangely started feeling it during one of my swims and thought I had just knocked over something and was not thinking much about it. But, it really started bothering me a lot after the 2 runs last weekend. I knew that something was wrong.

It was really frustrating to discover this new injury. So I have taken the week step by step. I have been doing a lot of stretching and doing exercises to strengthen the knee. Also have been taking anti-inflammatory medication as well as arnica whenever I feel the need. I did not do any speed work or hill work that was scheduled for the week. I just wanted to run easy runs to see how my knee would behave.

The real test, however, came in yesterday during my 22-Mile long run. It was not the best run ever as I definitely felt the knee. But I finished it without any major problems. I will continue with the exercises and will decide whether I will do the 13-Mile tempo run scheduled for Wednesday.

Lazy runner

2009-03-05T08:45:00.000-05:00

I think I might the laziest runner ever. I had planned to go out to Central Park and do hill work but just could not get myself out of the apartment. I heard my alarm clock at 6am and was actually out of bed by 6.15am. But once in the bathroom, I look at myself in the mirror and know right away that I am going back to bed. I slept till 8am and now I am even late to work.

Today's run was only 5 miles and I can run that in the evening. But in the next couple of weeks I will be having 'longer' (11, 13 and 15 milers) middle of the weeks runs and for those I can not cop out.

Running otherwise seems to be going fine. I had a 18 miler over the weekend and that went mostly fine. Also my tempo runs are getting 'easier' each week. And this weekend marked the middle of my training schedule which means that St. Louis will less that 6 weeks time.

Hill Work

2009-02-26T12:33:00.000-05:00

I went to do hill work this morning in Central Park.

It was 4 very tiring loops around the north loop. I started on the west side and tackled the small ascent, then downhill in the north part of the park and up the hill going south on the east side. Weather was in the 30s and there were quite a few people at 7am.

Here is a picture of the Harlem Meer this morning.

"Go out hard; when it hurts, speed up."

2009-02-24T22:30:00.002-05:00

That is such a great line!

I found it while reading an article on Matt Carpenter, a high-altitude distance running who keeps getting only better, though he is already 44 years old. His resting pulse is 38 and his VO2 Max is at 90.2 is the second highest score ever recorded. To say the least, this guy is amazing!

Finally I found out my final placing at the 10 Miler this weekend. I placed 23rd overall and was 3rd in my age division. Yay!

The race has had a very positive effect to my training. I feel stronger and confident that training is going well. I am almost at the same level of fitness that I was when I got injured (judging by the racing time).

But I also know that there is a lot of things I need to fine tune and have less than 2 months away. Lately I have been thinking about diet and fueling, and also I know that I have to do more hill training. Another thing on my mind is the fact that the 12-week program I am following only allows for two 20-mile runs which I am not sure it is sufficient. I am thinking I might throw another 20-miler, just in case.

Cherry Tree 10 Miler

2009-02-22T23:51:00.003-05:00

This morning was my first race since I got injured last November. I came in with no expectations, no idea how I would do. I would be happy with running at my expected marathon pace of 6.55 per mile, which would make a 1:09.10 run.

Unlike the other local races, I went with Robert to Prospect Park in Brooklyn for the race. It was an early morning, but it turned out to be quite a fun one. The level of organization was nowhere near the ones organized by the New York Road Runners. It was a small event with only a couple of hundreds runners. There were no chips, mile signage was basic, there were no clocks around except for the finish line and after 12 hours I still want to find out my placing... But what they lacked, the volunteers and organizers made up in enthusiasm. Because the race was small in scale, I felt a tight sense of community with the post-race being held in the cafeteria of high-school where there were possibilities to interact with other runners.

The race itself went much better than I had expected. It was 3 laps around the park which has some challenging up-hills on the north side. I wanted to take the beginning slowly as I had not ran around the park before. Robert started faster, but I was able to catch up with him close to Mile 5. The last miles were rough as I was going faster than my planned marathon pace and also because I had not raced recently. I simply followed a runner in front of me and followed him till the finish line. I could not have gotten through the last pass at the those hills (the calves were burning!) without him leading the way. I only wished I could have led more and pushed our pace.

My finish time was 1:03.55, which makes 6.23 per mile. I plugged that time in one of those online marathon predictors and it gave me 3:01 marathon. The sub-3 hour marathon search is still alive, but I do not want to think about it just yet. Only a perfect race in St. Louis will enable me to reach that goal.

I plan to run a 15K on March 22, but other than that I have no other races scheduled before St. Louis.

East River

2009-02-18T08:15:00.000-05:00

I took these pictures a few years back on a run up the East River.

Trying to take it easy

2009-02-17T05:50:00.000-05:00

Yes, I think taking the day off from swimming gave a new spring to my running. The legs still feel heavy, but are much better. The long run on Saturday along the East River and the recovery run around Central Park with Robert on Sunday were both nice.
Weather was great for running -- sunny, low 30s.

I have been having issues with pacing. Both the long run and the recovery run were faster than I had planned. I wanted to run the long run at a 7.30 mile pace, but ran it at 15 seconds a mile faster. I knew I had run the first 8 miles at around 7.20 mile pace and wanted to run the second half slower. But ended up negative splitting and running the second 8 miles at 7.10 mile pace.

Then on Sunday again, our intent was to run a nice 7.30 mile pace 6 miler, but for some reason we could not control ourselves and ended up running close to 7 minute miles. We even ran the park clockwise (instead of the more popular counter-clockwise direction), but running against the other runners just made us more eager to finish the run faster.

Both were great runs and really felt great afterwards. I just need to learn to control myself and run easily without risking getting injured again.

Tired legs...

2009-02-12T23:35:00.000-05:00

My legs have been very tired lately. I guess having just recently recovered from injuries and deciding to train for a marathon is to blame. Six weeks ago I was not running at all, but at the end of this running week I plan to have run 43 miles for the week.

This morning I finished the second 8 miler of the week and my legs felt so heavy. Actually they have been feeling heavy for awhile now. Since I did the first long run around Central Park a couple of weeks ago, I have been feeling that I have been dragging my legs. Cardio-wise I have I feel OK, however.

I am planning in skipping swimming tomorrow, so that I give my body an extra day of rest ahead of the long run on Saturday. I might skip or shorten the recovery run on Sunday depending on how I feel the day. The good news is that next week I only plan to run 34 miles for the week.

St. Louis on my mind...

2009-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Because I was injured late last year, I did not start running until January. And with the St. Louis Marathon scheduled for mid-April, that will give me less than the usual 18 week marathon training program.

I toyed with the idea of following one of those half way through, but then I found this 12 week program which I decided to follow. It is pretty much a customized program and allows you to set your weekly running milage.

There are, however, 2 runs during the week which are key: the mid-week tempo and the weekend long run. The other runs during the week are pretty much up to each person. Also since this is a somewhat abbreviated program, tapering period turns out to be only one week or so -- even then, there is an 8-miler the week of the marathon.

I decided that for this marathon I will be running 5 times a week. (I think running 6 times a week for Philly contributed to the ankle tendinitis.) And will be swimming the other 2 days of the week. Just need to find time for core training and knee strengthening exercises.

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

2009-02-01T11:59:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to decide my racing schedule this year, which marathon to runs. Ideally I would want to run one the first half of year and another (or possibly 2) the second half.

There are a few variables that I need to take into account. First, the recovery from the ankle tendinitis and runner's knee that prevented me from running Philadelphia in the fall. And then, there is the state of the economy. Right now my job seems to be secure, but who knows what will happen 6 months from now.

I used this week's running to gauge my fitness level. I am pleased on how this week went and think that I am ready to start training for a marathon. I signed up for the St. Louis Marathon on April 19. I will also use this opportunity to visit an old friend from Brazil and her family who moved to the US quite awhile ago.

For the rest of the year, I am not sure yet what my plans will be. I will try the lottery again for the NYC Marathon and/or perhaps try Philadelphia again 3 weeks after. I toyed with running Chicago. My ambition is to run the 5 majors (others being NYC, Boston, Berlin and London) during my running career, but with this unstable economy it just did not seem feasible. During my run with Robert yesterday, I realized that I would easily spend more than $1,000 (hotel, registration, plane ticket, food, etc). In normal times, I would not hesitate and run, but it just seems so frivolous right now.

14 Miles

2009-01-31T16:16:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to run 16 miles with Robert this morning, but started cramping around mile 14 and had to leave it at that.

I am actually quite pleased with the run, despite that. I had no idea how well I was going to run. I have only resumed running 4 weeks ago and was not sure if I was rushing to run long runs too quickly. I only ran 10 miles last week and the rule of thumb is to increase 10% from one week to the next. So going from 10 to 16 was a bit too ambitious. I am glad, however, how things went. I ran the 14 miles at around 7:06 per mile pace and this is pretty good for me at this stage of the training.

Those hills at Central Park killed me. This is the first time I have ran hills since November I think and it showed. I kept getting winded every time we got to run the hills, in special the great hill on the northwest side of the park. I guess not being used to hills plus running long distances contributed to the cramps this morning. But all's good and I am happy I was able to run at a decent pace.

It was a chilly 22F this morning during our run but sunny. Central Park is just gorgeous. All of the small lakes were frozen and it was great to see people ice skating, playing hockey and even playing soccer. I wished I had my camera with me.

Slowly but surely

2009-01-24T17:30:00.001-05:00

I ran 10 miles this morning. I ran along the East River to 28th Street and back. It was sunny and cold. A beautiful day to run, despite going against the frigid wind on the way back up. And it felt really good. This is such a great achievement for me at this point.

I am really pleased and quite sanguine about my running this week. By tomorrow I will have ran 27 miles, which is good if you take into consideration that 4 weeks ago I was not running. Despite that I decided not to run the Manhattan Half tomorrow. I am just not ready yet. I should not have been too impatient to come back to running and spent $15 on a race that I will not run, especially in these bad economic times.

I read this article on the latest Runner`s World issue. Usually when I run outside my eyes go everywhere. I look at buildings, people, animals or anything that is noisy. I like to soak up the environment. I am definitely not averse to waving, nodding to other runners whenever there is eye contact. Today I decided that I would be trying to see how others would react if I kept eye contact as I crossed them during the run. It was also a way to make things entertaining and faster as I run. I noticed that women, in general, kept to themselves and were always looking forward so there was not much opportunity for a wave or a nod. Some people would actually avoid my stare as soon they noticed I was looking at them. But, on the other hand, got a lots of nods and smiles (even from non-runners and passer-bys). I came across this guy twice, once on the way down and the back. First was a casual nod and the second was a nice `keep going` cheer.

Struggling with fitness

2009-01-17T16:43:00.001-05:00

It has been quite slow running week. It is frigid in NYC this week and had to do all my run (including the 8 miler this morning) on treadmill.

What is more frustrating, however, is the fact that my running fitness is nowhere near what it was 2 months ago when I was getting ready for Philly. Despite swimming these 6-7 weeks of not running simply obliterated the fitness level that I acquired after a whole year of training.

In October, I would easily finish a 4 miler in under 28 minutes. This week, on the other hand, I have struggled to finish the 4 milers under 30 min. I know that I have been running better than the previous week and that's encouraging. But I am still so impatient and eager to attain the previous level of fitness. I remember that when I got injured in 2005, it took me around 6 months to feel that I was running at the same lever of my pre-injury. I hope this time around it will not take as long.

Besides running, swimming has been going well. I have been swimming now twice a week and around 1km at a time. I will try to increase swimming distance to around 1 mile eventually. Finally, I am back to practicing yoga with TaraMarie after after 3 months. I will try to include a yoga practice once a week.

Calories to burn

2009-01-12T08:33:00.002-05:00

Whenever I come to Montreal, I always eat too much. I have been waiting to go to Au pied de cochon for a long time and finally had a very memorable dinner last evening with Nick and Val.

It was simply decadent and not healthy at all. I started with Duck Carpaccio and then had Foie Gras and Boudin Tarte as main dish. The portions were huge and all accompanied by a nice red wine. Overall a great dining experience!

Good thing I will be coming back to NYC tomorrow evening. I have not done any exercise, unless you believe that playing Wii Fit is considered exercise, since I arrived. I need to go back to running and healthy eating habits soon. I am hoping to run 25 miles this coming week.

Freezing Montreal

2009-01-11T08:28:00.007-05:00

Whenever I come to Montreal, one of my favorites routes to run is along the Lachine Canal. It starts at the old town and goes all the way to Lachine, the south end of the island of Montreal. That's around a 12km course. It is always a gorgeous run.

I came to visit a friend of mine for the weekend. It is freezing however. Yesterday was a high of -17C and sunny. Though I saw a brave Montrealer in running gear, I did not dare go out for a run. Below is a picture of the canal.

It is totally frozen with a coat of fresh snow. Good thing I did my run in NYC before I went to the airport.

Aches and pains

2009-01-08T23:20:00.000-05:00

Coming back to running has been a bit harder than I had imagined. After 2 months away from running, my fitness had really declined. I have soreness all over and every day there is a new part of the body hurting. A few days ago were my quads, then my calves, feet and since this morning my right hamstring. I do not think these are serious aches, just natural soreness from running.

I am more worried about any pain to my left knee. It had been going mostly pain free, but I did feel a pinch during my 4 mile run yesterday and was feeling the knee yesterday evening. That got me worried, but I woke up this morning without pain and has been fine even after my evening run. Hopefully is was one off and it will not return.

Running this week has been OK. I hope to run a 20 miler week and slowly increase milage, especially long runs. I signed up for a half marathon on January 25. I will use it more as a long run than anything. At this point even running 4 miles is a struggle. I am not sure how I will be in 2 weeks time, so I will set up modest goals.

I am still thinking about running the St. Louis Marathon on April 19. I will see how this month's training goes and see if I feel prepared.

Back to running

2009-01-04T17:33:00.001-05:00

It seems that my knee and ankle are healed. (Knock on wood.) I had my first full week running and have not felt either injury.

Despite swimming these past 2 months,I lost a lot of my fitness. This week I only ran about 15 miles, which is half of what I normally run on weekly basis, and I have had plenty of muscle aches as well.

The longest run of the week was this morning`s 4 miler with Robert along East River. He only took a few days off during the holidays and is still in pretty good shape. I had a rough time trying to keep up with him during the first leg of our run. I could hardly speak and almost told him to just go ahead without me. He mercifully realized that I was struggling and politely asked how I was doing. We slowed down to a pace that I could follow. We still finished at a decent 7 min mile pace, but I surely have a long way to go till I get back to my previous running shape.

Looking back

2009-01-02T12:29:00.000-05:00

...and moving forward.

Despite the last 2 months of 2008 being very disappointing, overall the year was quite positive. I do not dwell on the negatives, but instead emphasize the positives.

Firstly, Boston might not have gone as well as I expected, but the mere fact that I was at the starting line means a lot to me. Every race is a new learning experience and I know I came back from Boston a more serious and experienced runner. Just because my first marathon went much easier than I had anticipated, I should not have taken it from granted. I learnt to be humble and respect the distance. I know I will be better prepared next time I run Boston.

Also, I was also pleasantly surprised that I am able to run much faster than I had thought. I especially made great strides at the half-marathon. I knew I could run a sub-1:30 time, but this year I ran the distance 3 times under 1:28. My PR now is just above 1:25. I know I can run faster and maybe that sub-3 marathon is not that elusive afterall.

Finally, as a byproduct of my knee and ankle injuries, I rediscovered swimming. I was surprised to find out that I could swim over 1 mile on a regular basis. I will definitely add more swimming to my training.

So what do I expect for 2009?

I plan to race more this year. Not only half and marathons, but the shorter distances as well. I was concentrating too much on those distances and simply forgot how fun racing actually is.

Nevertheless, I still want to run a sub-3 marathon. But also I want to run a sub 1:23 half and sub-38 10k. And just overall improve times in other distances.

More importantly, I want to have an injury free year.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T09:06:00.006-05:00

Happy Holidays and Wishing you great and amazing adventures (running or otherwise) in 2009!

snowy day

2008-12-19T19:59:00.003-05:00

Today we had the first snow storm in New York. Thought I would share some pictures.

Nothing much else to report. My knee is feeling much better, but still not doing much exercise.

running vicariously

2008-12-14T18:23:00.009-05:00

Today was such a beautiful winter day here in NYC -- 40s and sunny. The perfect day for running.

I had Selma take pictures of her run this morning along the Hudson River on Riverside Park. On our long runs, Robert and I would often run crosstown and start our runs on the West Side, so I know this stretch as well. It is a beautiful run with great views of NJ and the George Washington Brigde. At times, the path is just right by the water. The northward path actually passes by the GW Bridge and the Cloisters.

Her pictures came out really well. I especially like the second from the top. You can see NJ in the background. And you can get a sense on how close the runners actually are from the river and the highway and cars. It is a great shot!

My dream gift!!

2008-12-12T11:46:00.007-05:00

If you are ever at loss at what to give me for Christmas or birthday (that's in November, by the way). Or just feeling generous. You can not go wrong with this wonderful gift: a run with a world-class runner.

If you are a runner, you will want the same thing.

music

2008-12-09T21:33:00.003-05:00

I never listen to music when I run and I never dream about running. But yesterday evening was a night of firsts. I dreamt that I was listening to music while I running. To my surprise, I was listening to The Libertines' Don't Look Back into the Sun.

I have been listening a lot to a Brazilian singer called Otto. I discovered him on Friday when I went to BAM for an Aids benefit with a bunch of Brazilian singers and musicians. He mixes electronic music with folk rhythms from northeast Brazil.

Finally I read in the news that Blur is re-uniting for a gig in London during the summer. They were one of my favorite musical bands in the late 90's. I still listen to them on occasion and especially love Damon Albarn singing Tender.

running hiatus

2008-12-08T00:10:00.002-05:00

My running is not going that well. During the week I tried a few runs -- always on treadmill, always at a slow pace and always with the same pain in the left knee. The ankle tendinitis has long gone, but developed a case of runner`s knee that just won`t go away. After a run I have to spend the following day taking anti-inflammatories. But when it is time to run again, the pain does come back. I am tired of being caught in the same vicious circle, tired of the pain and tired of taking medicine. I am putting an end to my running this year. I hope that the rest and the new year will do me good.

Saturday

2008-12-07T13:09:00.005-05:00

Saturday is when I usually I do my long run. But since I am unable to run, I have been doing other things on Saturday mornings.

Yesterday we went wine tasting in a winery in Monroe, an hour away from NYC. Apparently Brotherhood Winery is the oldest functioning winery in the United States. Even during Prohibition (1917-31) it was operating by producing sacramental wine.

The place is small. The wines, though, not great, were surprisingly good. From the wines that we tasted, I liked the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. But I was most interested in and intrigued by their wine named Mariage, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Afterwards it was a nice sleepy ride back to New York. It is nice to leave town every once in awhile. It gives you perspective and makes you appreciate coming back.

New York

2008-12-04T20:04:00.003-05:00

I have been lately engrossed by Netherland a book by Joseph O'Neill. It is about New York City post 9/11, about the malaise and sense of disorientation that afflicted many after the attacks. But, then, just like New York, the book is also about so many other things -- dreams, disappointments, friendships, loss. No matter how good or bad your experience during your stay here has been, the city has something that keeps you fascinated by it.

Much like one of the character of the book find refuge in cricket during that time, I found mine in running. I had been running occasionally after graduating college and entertained the idea that one day I would run a marathon, only after 2001 that I started thinking about it more seriously. I also knew that the marathon would be New York.

One of the greatest feelings of my life, running or otherwise, will always be going through the almost still silence of Queensboro Bridge and turn to First Avenue and hear this roar of people 5 deep (maybe more) cheering for you. All of a sudden a rush of adrenaline kicks in and all the body parts that were hurting are suddenly healed. I also knew that not far away, just before the Willis Bridge, my mother and sister were waiting to kiss and hug me, and to urge me on to finish the last six miles of the race.

being beaten by Minnie Mouse

2008-12-01T12:13:00.007-05:00

I dare someone tell me that long distance running is boring. First of all, you need to be a bit nutty to even attempt going through at least 4 months of masochistic training only to realize that as soon as you finish the race you need to go through it all over again as soon as possible. It is a drug I am telling.

Among the most memorable characters I have come across during a race was the Minnie Mouse runner during my frustrated Boston Marathon race earlier this year. We ran almost side by side for a good 10 miles before I decided to intensify the pace -- I was not going to be beaten by Minnie Mouse! I was doing pretty well until fatigue and cramps foiled my plans. I think Minnie passed me around Mile 21 and went on to finish the race 15 minutes ahead of me.

I saw him again running the NYC Marathon in early November. I was happy to see him and wanted him to do well. I learned my lesson: Concentrate on your own race. Besides, who`s to tell you that you are better than a Disney character.

it feels good to run again...

2008-11-30T17:26:00.002-05:00

It was only 4 miles, slower than my long runs pace, and it was on a treadmill. But it is oh so good...

I had planned to go to Central Park and run around the Bridle Path, maybe even take some pictures. The rain and cold temperatures coupled with my lazy bones, however, had other things planned for me. So, I just went downstairs to the building's gym instead.

I am far from being out of the woods. Though, I ran mostly pain free, I felt aches and pains. The ankle was actually fine, but I did feel my left knee, despite the use of a knee brace.

I plan to mix swimming with running for a week or so, besides keeping on taking the anti-inflammatory. I am hopeful that in a couple of weeks I should be able to resume my regular 25-30 weekly milage.