Author Archives: admin

Cycle for Survival

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A few weeks ago Jess from ‘Fitchickinthecity’ asked if I wanted to join her Cycle for Survival Team this February. Hmmm… was this some sort of obstacle course we would be riding on our bikes? Tough Mudder but on wheels? Rings of fire, narrow bridges, oil slicks? All of this would be right up my alley!

After some research I found out that it was not a crazy bike ride at all, but an all day Spin event to raise money for Cancer research! Each Team is slotted a 4 hour position and has to ride during that period, switching riders in and out like a relay race.

Seeing as how my mother is a 20 year Cancer survivor and my father is currently preparing for a bone marrow transplant to possibly cure his Lymphoma, this kind of event hits home. I immediately joined her team along with 4 others.

Below is a link to my donations page, feel free to send me as much research money as you like, there is no limit!

Baker’s Page

I really enjoy racing, riding, swimming or even just walking around to raise money for various causes.
If any of you readers out there ever have a cause worth fighting for and need a team member, send me a message!

Making Leg Jello

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One of the things I have learned about runners and triathletes in the last 2 years is that they are crazy, myself included. Why is it that after waking up and having some coffee on a 35 degree Saturday that I have the need to go run? I mean, my apartment is awesome! I have tons of coffee, music is playing, it’s got lots of light and guess what, it doesn’t have a wind chill factor.

Without delay I threw on shorts, Zenah calf sleeves, a dry fit top and a zip up top to take off were it to get ‘hot’. I decided on a Saturday run as I wasn’t able to sign up for the Joe Kleinerman 10K on Sunday as it sold out. Once again, 4,000 crazy runners paying for this stuff.

Once I was moving it wasn’t too cold. I was really surprised at how warm the Zensah sleeves kept my legs. I’m a really big fan now.

Entering the Park at 84th Street I switched on my Garmin and took off, my goal to run 12 miles. I also decided I WOULD NOT look at my Garmin until my run was over to see if my internal mechanisms would keep me in check.

At the top of the Park I ran by my friend Kevin Masse (who was running but in the opposite direction). It was a pretty good day for a run after all and I started to get hot, taking off my zip up. I didn’t know what my pace was, but I was having fun.

As I rounded the loop and arrived where I had started I decided to call that the end of my run. I wasn’t feeling the distance at that moment.

Total Miles: 6.03
Time: 37:35
Pace: 6:14

The following morning I happened to be crossing the Park right as the Kleinerman 10K had started! Exciting! I was able to catch the leaders as they hit Mile 5.

They were flying! In fact the two lead guys pictured had a 1 minute lead on the rest of the pack.

Above in white is my friend Sebastian. He was really confused as I cheered at him because I don’t think he has ever seen me in ‘pedestrian garments.’ He was crushing it.

Once home I couldn’t sit still. After watching all my fellow local runners I needed to do something exercisy. (yes, that’s a new word.) My new favorite toy is my Kurt Kinetic Fluid Trainer. It essentially turns your Tri Bike (or Road Bike or whatever bike) into a stationary spin bike.

I know some of you are saying “Man, I hate the bike trainer, it’s not the same, etc. etc.” True, all very true, but one of the plus sides to the trainer is sweating. SIDENOTE: I love to sweat. Seriously, I hate biking in the winter and not even sweating. I don’t feel like I’ve put in any work. The same goes for running, although it’s pretty easy to get hot during just about any run.

I rigged up the trainer and did around 35 minutes of intensity intervals. It was awesome and 10 minutes in I was drenched.

I don’t know if you can really tell with that picture. Any of you that run with me in the warmer months know that I get really red faced.

For the rest of the weekend (which was spent at Dave and Buster’s in Times Square for Erika’s birthday… awesome!) my legs were totally jello.

Baker’s ‘Race Burritos’

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By now most people have heard of and hopefully come to terms with the fact that I eat ‘Race burrito’ during any distance race over a Half Mary. I started this nutrition tactic during the Knickerbocker 60K last year when I was freaking out over how I would survive the race. It worked that day and a new way of fueling was born for me.

A lot of people have asked how they are made and what goes into them so I though I would do some explaining.

SIDENOTE: I will make you ‘Race Burritos’ if you give me a few days notice before a race.

Baker’s ‘Race Burritos’

Ingredients:

– 5-10 Flour/Wheat Tortillas (do not use corn, they fall apart)
– 1 cup brown rice
– 1 Can GOYA Black Beans
– 1 Can GOYA Kidney Beans
– 1 Large Tomato
– Sea Salt
– Cumin

In a large (deep) sauce pan cook brown rice. It’s important that the rice is over cooked rather than under cooked. (Crunchy food during a run just ain’t cool)
While the rice is cooking, drain and rinse the beans and dice the tomato. Add them to the rice mix once it is cooked thoroughly.

On low heat, keep stirring the rice and bean mixture. Add a hearty amount of sea salt and go light on the cumin. Do not over do it (regarding the cumin) otherwise it will affect you on the course.

Once the mix has cooled a bit (and there is minimal moisture) add very thin strips to the tortillas. Try and get an even spread of beans and rice.

Roll them very tight and moisten the outside flap with warm water to seal it. Then, wrap it in cellophane by folding the left and right ‘open’ sides of the burrito first, then roll the rest around it. This helps to keep it together and to make it easier to open while running.

Refrigerate, then on race day tape them to your bike, stuff ’em up your shirt or in your arm warmers.

SIDENOTE: I normally eat one the day before a race so my body adapts to it.

RACE REPORT: 053 Tough Mudder

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While on the mighty facebook a few months ago, my friend Ronny from Belgium (who is a 3rd degree Judo wrestler) suggested we race the Tough Mudder in New Jersey that coming November. He sent me a link which displayed a Half Marathon distance obstacle course… fire pits, icy lakes, rope bridges and mud. Yes, yes, yes I will sign up. Within minutes I had Ed and Jim of ‘Dad Pose’ signed up as well. Little did we know…

The morning of the race (I signed us up for a 12:20 wave, thank you!) it was 38 degrees and was to warm up to 55 or so thank god. Ed picked me up at 9:45 and we then scooped up Ronny and Jim before heading out of the Lincoln Tunnel. I’m not gonna lie. I looked for all possibilities to get out of this one. You see, COLD, is my greatest weakness. (note to all opponents) SIDENOTE: Once the NYC Marathon was over I got very nervous. I knew I had this race coming up and I told myself ‘I would rather run another marathon than attempt this mayhem.’ But, we must confront our fears.

The car ride camaraderie was just what I needed. As we entered the park grounds and saw what was taking place we were all instantly excited. We had a full 360 degree view of a lot of the main obstacles and the race was crossing our path at certain points.

Gearing up I had on tri shorts, running shorts, a long sleeve tech top, racing flats, Zensah calf sleeves and bike gloves. We made our way to registration and basically signed our life away.

Waves started at 9AM so we got to see guys coming in from the race who were shivering and covered head to toe in mud.

Please remember how clean and well kept all of us look in this photo.

Lining up at the start, which was a drag race track, we had the sun shining on us but the wind was fierce. It would be our main opponent all day. A few words (including the tough Mudder motto) and we were off as a monster truck led us out.

As a Tough Mudder I pledge that…

* I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge.

* I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time.

* I do not whine – kids whine.

* I help my fellow Mudders complete the course.

* I overcome all fears.

We ran the length of the track and back which was maybe a mile, then veered off onto obstacle 1 of 18. It was the “Ball Shrinker” which is a rope overhead, rope below walk across a freezing lake. Ronny was in front of me (did I mention Ronny is 6’3″) so my foot rope was unreachable at times, therefore I used my upper body strength to ‘monkey bar’ it across. The water was numbing and our feet burned as we got on dry ground.

Running along the lake I knew it wasn’t long before we had to take a dip in it and really start to feel some pain.

“Walk the Plank” is where you rope walk up a wall then jump off (20 FT) into a freezing lake. I didn’t think it would be too bad, I was wrong.

Jumping off the platform and into the lake was fun, but as I hit the water my body went into shock. My strategy was to use my triathlon skills to freestyle swim across the 50 yards to the other side. After 3 head dips I became delirious from the numbness in my skull and decided I had to keep my head above water. My body was shutting down and for the first time in awhile I was deathly afraid.

Speeding forward I met the “Underwater Tunnels” which was a series of barrels you had to swim under. Once again my brain was frozen, but somehow I made it to the shore.

Running along the bank, we all talked of how our bodies burned due to the cold. THEN, we had to cross the freaking lake again! This time the water seemed warmer? I breast stroked it the whole way and may have set a world record.

Exiting the lake, we had to run maybe a mile until the next obstacle, warming us up I guess. Next, we hit the “Spider Walls” followed by the “Mud Mile.” Did I say mud? From here on out MUD would be the theme of the day.

“Mud Mile” is a series of pools that were waist high sludge mud with hills between. Think chocolate milk meets Jell-o Pudding. On the first hill I tripped and went headfirst into the mud. The guys laughed at me.

We were really having fun now and our spirits soared. The fact that our extremities were numb and burning seemed unimportant.

Next we went onto a dirt bike course which was a muddy series of ups and downs. I really can’t even begin to describe the mud. It was also very challenging to run on. You have to constantly watch how you place your feet so you don’t really twist an ankle. There were always huge holes under the mud where you would sink in, sometimes up to your waist.

Winding around and around, we arrived at “Cliffhanger” which is a huge assent up a 50 ft muddy incline. I didn’t make it on my first try and had to approach from a different angle. Luckily, the name of the game is to help fellow Mudders, so some guys (forming a human chain) grabbed me and pulled me up. SIDENOTE: Don’t wear racing flats in the mud.

Now we had to hit the “Kiss of Mud” which was a barbed wire net you had to crawl under in the mud. It was messy, but hey, it wasn’t even close to as bad as the lake jump so we were smiling.

After a quick 1 mile jog we had to go through the “Boa Constrictor Tunnels” which were 50 feet long, and 2 feet in circumference and covered with rocks and mud. Not fun.

Next we hit the “Berlin Walls” which are series of 3, 10 foot wooden walls. We nailed this. Ronny would jump up and straddle the wall, then I would go and he would pull me up, followed by Jim, then Ed. Military science at its best. Speaking of which, at this point, looking around at everyone scaling walls I couldn’t help but appreciate our U.S. Armed Forces and my friend Cory. I thought to myself “Baker, this is probably the closest you will ever be to the military, enjoy all of it!” And I did.

Another long run and then we arrived at the “Tired Yet” obstacle. A million tires on the ground that you had to run through like a football drill. I was really excited about this because I never played or tried out for football so I wanted to see what I was made of. I did well. Right after was the “Rubber Necking” obstacle. Grab a tire and run it 1/4 mile to the drop point. This was easy.

We were about halfway done the course at this point and frozen to the core, so seeing the burning fire pits ahead excited us. Remember, this whole time we were all running together as a team, that’s what Tough Mudder is all about.

Cruising up on the smoke filled area (patrolled by the local Firemen) we ran through a track laced with burning hay bails. It was really hard to see with the smoke but the heat felt so good!

Next we were back on a dirt bike course weaving along, up and down the muddy hills again. Mud, Mud, Mud, all day. Ed took a really nice digger that would later leave him with ‘Most Muddy Award.’ Really though, I’m so surprised no one twisted and ankle seriously injured themselves! We had to dip under the “Devils Beard” obstacle which was a 50 foot long rope net you had to army crawl under in the cold mud. Awesome.

After running in the mud for 2 more miles we entered the forest. It was very peaceful and for some reason there were less Mudders around. We had to leap over fallen logs (the “Log Bog Jog” obstacle) before running into a mud pit that was crazy hard to get out of! Ronny actually jumped the whole thing which the rest of us hadn’t thought about!

I really thought I wouldn’t have to get into freezing cold water again. Wow. I was wrong. After a 1 mile stint around a lake we approached the “Funky Monkey” – “Twinkle Toes” combo. Alright here it is. Greased monkey bars over a lake that have an incline, apex, then go down to a platform. Next, you walk across a thin beam to the shore. Easy right? How about being covered in mud and totally shivering cold? Exactly.

Going first, I ditched my gloves thinking that would make it easier. I made it 2 freaking rungs before falling in! Lame! I swam to the platform. Then, 2 steps into the beam I fell in! Double Lame AND I was soaked and freezing. The rest of the guys did way better than me, all of them making it across the thin beam.

Finishing that obstacle, I knew the hardest part of the day lay behind us. We had to hit some tunnels again before entering the race track where we started.

The 18th and ‘Secret’ obstacle was a bunch of electrified wires hanging down that you had to run through. Seriously! I got hit once in the right shoulder should sent a shock wave through me, but whatever, I was frozen anyway!

After that there was a half mile jog around the track to the finish! We were so excited!

Probably the hardest part of the whole day was peeling off our clothes and putting on warm replacements. Impossible! I had my socks half way on and just gave up, jamming my shoes on over them.

We grabbed our free beers and hung out by the fire pit before heading off to a diner to have a big meal. We were all Tough Mudders now and I really believe in it. Even now as I type this some 7 hours after the finish my fingers are still tingly. It was really quite a fun experience and I really enjoyed the team effort, instead of the usual ‘every man for himself’ attitude. It also hardened me up, so maybe now I won’t complain during those easy races in Central Park during the winter!

Beer Run

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Sunday was willrunforbeer’s inaugural ‘Beer Run’ around Central Park and the Upper West Side.

After Saturday’s Tough Mudder debacle (report and crazy pics to come) I didn’t think I had it in me. Then I thought to myself, “What’s one of the motto’s of Tough Mudder? No whining, kids whine.” Since I was now a Tough Mudder, I had no excuse to skip out. I also really like beer and socializing so…

I met up with the gang of 18 or so people at the Engineer’s Gate, then, after a quick speech by Claire we were off!

Running north, and around the 102 transverse we were all having fun conversations and enjoying the fall weather. Our first stop was Dive Bar. We made a group decision that 1 beer be consumed at each bar before moving on.

Next we went to Firehouse, followed by Amsterdam Ale House. It got pretty wild, running with a bunch of buzzed people! We were yelling and dodging innocent pedestrians!

The final stretch was a 1.5 mile segment ending at PJ Clarkes. I only stayed for one last beer as I was making Erika a lasagna for dinner which takes like 3 hours!

Congrats to Claire for a fantastic first ‘Beer Run!’ I look forward to them in the future. It was also awesome catching up with my runner pals. ROLE CALL: (sorry if I missed anyone) Claire, Monte, Maura, Joe, Evelyn, Neal, Susan, Maura and Brian, Michelle, and Carlos.

Run, Bike… Rock Climb?

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You would think that after running a marathon, someone would take the month off from running? Well, any crazy runner out there (and you know who you are) will tell you no way. In fact, we are just WAITING until we can go out for that first successful post-marathon run and it’s such a test of patience.

Saturday was that moment for me. (I ran 3 miles on Wednesday but that didn’t count as I was just running to get somewhere fast, not workout.)

Aside from it being gorgeous out, 63 and sunny, I was itching for some speed. I set out for Central Park with no set goal, I just wanted to test out my body to see where it was post-marathon.

I jumped in at 84th Street on the East Side (my local entrance) and took off. I felt great and had zero issues with any residual pain or soreness. I ran mile 1 in 5:59 and 2 in 6:16 but it felt like I was going at a slower pace. Rather than question it, I just kept going, basking in the sun. Erika took this photo from her office which I am now appropriating so you have an idea how gorgeous that Park is in the Fall.

I ran 4.5 miles at a 6:09 pace and had really enjoyed myself. I think the marathon might have upped my speed?

On Sunday I rode my bike up to Brandon’s apartment in Inwood. It’s 7 miles, but (for any of you who have yet to bike the northern part of the island) it has crazy hills! My legs were burning something fierce when I landed at Brandon’s. I chose to ride my track bike Athena as I had been neglecting her all season in lieu of my TT Bike. It cannot coast nor does it have brakes, so hills become quite a challenge.

Our mission was to rock climb around Inwood Park, Manhattan’s most natural park with its untouched primordial forests.

Brandon was on point for this mission since it was his neighborhood and I was new to the park. As we entered I was immediately blown away by it’s natural beauty.

SIDENOTE: I am an avid NYC history buff (go ahead, call me nerd, I stand by my obsessions) and had always wanted to explore Inwood Park so I was ecstatic! Our first stop was the famous rock where the Native Americans sold the island to Dutch settler Peter Minuit in 1626! Just so you know, that rock was not there at the time. In fact, a huge tulip tree (native to the island) was on that spot. It died in 1933 so they put the rock there in it’s place.

Soon after we confronted our first set of cliffs. They were massive rock outcroppings with natural caves (that’s right, caves) where the Indian’s used to take shelter. These were no joke. We made a few attempts and got half way up before deciding we needed better gear… like rope and harnesses. Oh right, I forgot to mention we were free climbing. After ascending the cliff from it’s sides we went on to hike and explore the rest of the park.

We really couldn’t have picked a better day. The leaves were a rustic array of yellow to red for as far as you could see.

The highlight for me, was navigating to a small beach at the island’s most northern tip. I never thought I would ever get to this spot after seeing it n passing on an Amtrak Train, but we managed to find it.

We spend around 2 hours hiking the hills and paths before heading back.

I then biked the 7 miles back down to my neck of the woods which was extremely difficult as I was wiped out. I kept thinking of it as some weird Triathlon or something. Bike, Rock Climb, Hike.

RACE REPORT: 052 – NYC Marathon: 3:01:59

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This year’s New York City Marathon was a milestone as well as a day of reflection. 2 years ago, the 2008 NYCM marked my introduction into the world of running and later on, triathlons. At that time, my only intention was to run a marathon, little did I know it would change my life forever.

In the weeks prior to the marathon I kept being asked an interesting question. “How long have you been training for this?” Well, any of you who keep up with my blog know that I like to race every weekend if possible, therefore, I am in training year round. The only difference is that I up my weekend mileage 2 months before a marathon.

Friday after work Erika and I headed over to the Expo to get our numbers and meet up with some fellow runners to have dinner. Upon arrival we met up with Ronny, Hernan and Walter to get our race numbers. As always with NYRR, it was smooth sailing and I had everything in check within 10 minutes.

Wandering the Expo I made my way to the Zensah booth where Michelle, Mary, Jen, and Eva were already hanging. They initiated me into the Zensah Mafia and I walked away with both calf sleeves and arm sleeves. We were all slotted to have dinner together so we departed for 44th and 10th to eat.

On the way out I spotted Danny Abshire at the Newton booth and got caught up chatting with him. I had bought a pair of Distancias after doing a natural running clinic with him and now my mom is a Newton owner so we had a lot to discuss. I would be running the marathon in Newtons as well.

Dinner was great, all of us talking shop and getting excited for Sunday.

Saturday morning I went for a quick 4 mile run. I followed the course of the finish for Sunday but DID NOT go through the finish line. I’m superstitious and didn’t want to jinx myself.



Mid-day was spent making race preparations. I made 6 ‘Race Burritos’ and made a lethal Gatorade/Redbull/Emergen-C/Rock Salt blend (I cant believe I’m giving away all my secret formulas!) Pictured is the burrito process since so many people have expressed interest.

I spent the afternoon briefing my friend Ahern’s father Steve on the course and other FAQ’s he had. Although it wasn’t Steve’s first marathon by far, he wanted the scoop on NYCM since I had raced it before. I would have done the same if I were in his shoes.

For dinner Erika and I went up to Harlem to eat at her favorite Italian restaurant, Pisticci’s. It’s pretty amazing. I kept my beer consumption pretty low at 2 total. We watched a movie and were asleep by 10:30.

RACE DAY

Up at 5:30AM (that’s 8 hours of sleep with the time change people, aka PLENTY) and got some Irish oatmeal going. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all these running adventures, its to eat a hearty breakfast! I also made a to go cup of oatmeal (which would come in handy later) and had a to go cup of Cafe Bustelo. Oh yeah, where’s my coffee sponsorship?

Jim met Erika and I in front of my building and we all split a cab down to the SI Ferry. We met Ronny, Hernan and Walter there as well and all of us jumped on the 6:45 to fulfill our destiny.

Ferry to the bus to the fort… it was pretty painless. I did have to pee like a race horse all morning though for some weird reason. I think I was over hydrated. Thank you Brooklyn Lager.

At the Blue area, or ‘Club Blue’ as I had dubbed it (Daniel and Alex, didn’t see you guys at the hot tub area?), I ate my second big cup of oatmeal and a banana. I was ready. One more pee stop then off to my corrals.

I was wearing my running shorts, a blue sleeveless race top, Zensah sleeves, Rudy Project ‘Gozen’ sunglasses, gloves and a winter hat. It was perfect and so were the conditions, sunny and 45 degrees.

In my corral everyone was totally amped and I made friends with a few of the guys around me. A few speeches, announcement of the leaders, national anthem (which was horrible this year) and then the cannon! Sinatra’s ‘New York New York’ was blasting as we began our assent onto the Verrazanos Bridge!

For starting in the top 1000-2000 people I kept running (literally) into slow runners with high bib numbers. Had they cheated their way to the front? Did they hop a fence? It was causing quite a bit of traffic problems as the swarms of faster runners would overtake them. This was of course forgotten by the time we were making our descent and everyone was peeing off the side of the bridge! I ran my first mile in 8:40.

At the bottom of the bridge I ran into (or next to) my friend Robert! We used to train together 2 years ago. We chatted a bit and would be running within a few minutes of each other all race, which I thought was awesome! He would overtake me towards the end though as he is a machine when it comes to the marathon distance.

The first 2-8 miles are pretty much a straight shot up 4th Avenue in Brooklyn and, in my opinion, it is the most fun part of the race. The cheering in non-stop, with all walks of life joining in! I was feeling pretty good and should have slowed down. I ran a 5:40 for mile 2 to which is just plain stupid, but I think I got too excited and lost myself. I also pulled over to the first rest area to pee again. I don’t know what was going on – I never have to go that many times before a race.

At mile 4 one of the guys I was chatting with in the corrals earlier came up along side of me. He had arm sleeve tattoos, was from Great Britain, and this was his first time in New York City! “Wow.” I told him “You are going to see every part of town and have a blast!” His name was Kev and he was pretty cool. He got a big kick out of my ‘Race Burritos.’ I invited him and his girlfriend back to our after party before loosing him in the masses.

As we hit downtown Brooklyn ( mile 8 ) we veered right into Fort Green. In my head I had broken up the course into ‘Sectors’ and we had just cleared ‘Sector 1.’ Sweet! Fort Green might get the best cheer zone award. I mean, REALLY! It was like Tour De France (no I have never raced the TdF) with all the people out in the streets yelling! Strictly amazing!

Worst cheering goes to Williamsburg this year (and not just because I hate hipsters so much I made a shirt expressing it) but because there was a lull in the energy.

At mile 11 I said aloud “It’s lunchtime.” I proceeded to chomp away at the ‘Race Burrito’ I was carrying. Some of my friends wanted me to get some photos while I ate, so I waited till I saw the Brightroom gang and made some funny faces. In the photo above you can see me prepping to eat it.

As mile 13 came around I saw the Pulaski Bridge (separating Brooklyn and Queens) and thought, “Holy cow, when did that get so steep?” Fighting over it I thought ‘Sector 2, clear.’

Cruising through Queens I was excited as I knew I had a few sets of friends cheering people on. First up was TK on the right! 100 Meters down the road on the left were Josh and Susan (plus a few more I couldn’t make out). It lifted my spirits which was exactly what I needed because the dreaded Queensboro Bridge lay directly ahead. (Cue Darth Vader theme from Star Wars please.)

2 years ago the Queensboro kicked my ass. I walked a bit and may have even cried. This year, this race, things were going to be different. I steadied my pace and started pumping my arms in rhythm, leaning into the hill. I was taking quick, small strides and if I felt myself slowing, I would pick up my turnover rate. Looking into the distance I kept wondering when we would hit the apex. I managed to get in a 8:05 mile for the ‘painful’ part of the bridge. As we hit the descent I felt like a kid running down a hill, all my weight behind me, legs and arms relaxed, it was awesome!

Nearing the end of the bridge, I knew what lay in store from last time and was getting choked up and energized at the same time. I cued up ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ (Erika’s idea) and picked up my pace as I turned down the off ramp. Deafening crowds 8 deep all along the bridge exit greeted us! I threw my hands up and egged the crowd on, their volume increasing! Looping under the bridge and coming out onto 1st Avenue is overwhelming. Crowds that would rival any parade line the avenue as far as the eye can see and the noise is so great that even a runner’s headphones are drowned out. This is the time to soak it all in, this is the time to celebrate, because in a few more miles things get rough.

Running by 83rd Street (my street) I saw Ed (from ‘Dad Posse’) and his son Ben cheering me on. Ed yelling, “Kick ass Baker! Go!” Approaching 87th Street I started to put on the brakes and look for my pit crew. I saw Robin, Jeff and Allison among many others and stopped for a few high fives and for my Gatorade High Octane Blend. Off again, I tried to keep my spirits up and my pace steady. I had just under an hour to run 8 miles.

At the Mile 18 Aid Station I heard “Hi Chris Baker!” It was Jess! I was past the station by the time I realized who it was and didn’t have a chance to stop and say hello.

Nearing the Bronx, I noticed a guy to my right who people were cheering on as ‘Paddy.’ Then I saw his shirt ‘Paddy Runs for Haiti’ and I thought “Hey, Ila has a cousin that runs for that team! We are friends on Facebook!” I approached and said “Hey! You run for Team Paddy!” to which he responded “It’s not a team, I AM Paddy.” Too wild! As I was explaining that I knew Ila he stopped me and said “Wait, you’re Baker! No way!” We had a pretty good laugh about the whole thing. He and I had never met but were planning on meeting to talk shop at happy hour one night, but what are the odds of meeting during a 45,000 person marathon?! We ran together for awhile before loosing each other in the mayhem that is miles 20-23 aka PAIN.

The Bronx wasn’t nearly as bad as I remembered it, as far as crowd support goes. I knew we were only there for a hot second so I tried to take in as much of the course as I could. Looping around to the 5th Avenue bridge we were now back on the island and entering my least favorite part of the course.

Miles 21-23 follow 5th Avenue from the north all the way south to 90th Street, where we enter the Park. At this point in the day, the sun reflects off the street and all of the people cheering are silhouettes. It’s pretty weird and very ‘dreamlike.’

Marcus Garvey Park is straight up annoying because its like someone just dropped a plot of land right on top of 5th, blocking you so you have to run around it. Hello? I just lost 3 minutes Mr. Garvey.

Once I rounded Garvey’s ‘in-the-way’ park, I was confronted with the mighty uphill stretch leading to the Park. It’s a pretty heavy incline and at mile 23 it’s not exactly something you’re looking forward to. I looked at the ground and dug in. I also reached into my pocket and ate my last Honey Stinger. It was so good. I felt a little bit like a bear. I’m not going to lie, I wanted to quit on that hill. Throw in the towel, call it a day, hit the showers. Looking at my Garmin I was filled with a bit of hope as I saw my time, 2:45.
I had 15 minutes and just about 2 1/2 miles to cover. On any given day PRIOR to running 23 1/2 miles of a marathon I would have no problem pulling this off, but could I do it now while my calves burned like the devil?

Entering the Park was like stepping into my backyard. In the last 10 years I have run, biked and walked this Park thousands of times and knew its intricacies well. I picked up my pace and started feeling really good, all of my pain washing away as I knew the end lay near.

At Mile 24 I saw Sam and Erica and WOW did they ever give me a loud cheer! Cruising down ‘Cat Hill’ I was grateful we weren’t having to run up it. I was clocking 6:50 miles now and was on target for my goal, but it was going to be close, like Death Star close.

Right after that cheer squad I heard my name again, and up on an outcropping of rocks was Annie and Moses with their awesome dog Guapo. They might have had the best seats in the house. It was getting hard to cheer back at people by this point, but I made the best effort I could.


Mile 25 hit and I heard (yet again!) “Baker! Yea man!” It was Robin’s brother Nick B. and his crew! I saluted and barreled forward. One factor I didn’t calculate was that we didn’t go around the bottom of the Park, we went out onto 59th Street to cut across. Making the westward turn I was once again surprised at the incline we were climbing. It hurt bad and slowed me down tremendously.

As we turned into the Park at Columbus Circle I had 1 minute to get to the Finish Line. I knew this couldn’t be obtained but was still excited at being so close.

For me the Finish Line at NYC Marathon is always the most non-memorable part. I think it’s because all other parts of the course are run on legitimate city streets, neighborhoods where people had just walked out their door to cheer. Here, in the Park, was a fabricated gate system and banner that (although very cool) is very unremarkable looking back at the race as a whole.

Sex/
Age		 Bib Overall

Place

 Age
Place		 Finish
Time		 Pace/
Mile		 AG %
M32 4321 1050 198 03:01:59 6:57 68.64 %

I crossed at 3:01:59 with a 12 minute PR and my first ever Boston Qualifier!

Walking to get my baggage I ran into Antonio and Robert. We chatted about the race and had a few laughs before parting ways.

At 86th Street I took the X86 across the Park with no problem. Well, when I was getting on the bus I said to the driver “Hi! I get to ride free right because I ran the marathon!” She casually glanced up at me and said “Um, no you don’t.” Feeling like a child who was just told Christmas was canceled I paid my fare and sat down. A few of the riders said congratulations to me.

I exited the bus and was walking down 87th Street heading to the bar where all of my friends and family were hanging. It was now 1:00 PM, I cued up “Babba Riley” by the Who while walking and kinda had a ‘moment.’ For the first time all day I felt proud of my accomplishment and my new PR. A few spectators here and there saluted me and were thrilled about my time, lifting my spirits even more.

Entering the insanely crowded bar, I made my way straight back to the tables. I heard a loud cheer from my brother Jeff and was then bombarded with high fives from the whole gang. A few in attendance were… ROLE CALL: Jeff, Allison, Robin, Stephanie, Billy, Shamin, Peate, Cousin Phyllis, John, Cousin Cat, Jonboy, and many more. We stayed till 3 or so before heading out to Stag’s Head Tavern on 51st Street.

We had the entire outside area to ourselves. What a great time it was. Erika showed up after rocking a 4:28 finish. Some other marathon finisher friends showed up too like, Mr. Ahern, Sharon and Ilka! It was a glorious day for all! Stag’s Head ROLE CALL: Allen, Casey, Nick, Rayna, Eric, Asher, Todd, Ila, Andy, Michael, Tim, The Ahern Family, and probably a lot more I missed. We stayed there till 8PM before finally calling the night.

I finally get to race in Boston.

RACE REPORT: 051 Little Silver 5k: 17:38 – 11th Place

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After Saturday’s 5K I headed back to my apartment to pack for the Little Silver 5K I was racing on Sunday. Jim, Ed (from ‘Dad Posse’) and Jack (Ed’s son) and I left around 2:30 to head to Mike and Kara’s house in the Red Bank area.

After a lovely jaunt down the ever-scenic New Jersey Turnpike we arrived at our destination. The sun was setting and Fall was in the air, so we caught up over a few beers in the backyard. The rest of the wives (minus Erika 1- because she was running the Staten Island Half Mary in the morning and 2 – she’s not my wife!) were arriving the next day for post-race festivities, so the guys were let loose to roam Red Bank.

Jim, Ed, Mike and I set off to The Globe Bar to grab some food and more beer. It was supposedly a ‘Dive’ but all 4 of us have spent many years in ‘Dives’ in NYC and this was way off. It did have a cigarette vending machine though! They had great food, especially the wings. We spent a few hours there before setting off to Dublin House.

The Dublin House is a very respectable irish pub. Unfortunately, all 4 of us were wiped so we headed back to Mike’s house to ride out the night after just one Guinness.

Once there we got the fire pit going and all sat around continuing our conversation. Kara joined along with the neighbors, Jim and Amy. I ducked out around 11PM because I was really feeling tired from the day’s events. I was also worried… how would my legs feel tomorrow for the next 5k?

RACE DAY

When I woke up at 7:45 I could definitely tell I needed more rest. Mentally substituting Santa Claus for coffee, I tip-toed downstairs to see what might be waiting for me.

After a cup of coffee and a banana we were off to the race. It really couldn’t have been more perfect as far as weather goes. 55 degrees, not a cloud in the sky.

As we prepared to line up at the start there were a bunch of college track runners warming up. Jim told me not to worry, but looking at them I thought “These dudes look fast! Yikes!”

The gun went off and I hung back. Not wanting to be the rabbit this time around, I let 3 guys lead us. We hung together in a 2 and 2 formation (envision us sitting in a car) and were blazing. We ran our first mile in 5:20.

Soon after Mile 1 the 3 underage speedsters I was running with separated from me. A few minutes later, another fast underage group overtook took me. I held onto these guys for the remainder of the race though.

SIDENOTE: How did my legs feel after racing a 5K the day before? Like crap. Imagine starting a 5K with that feeling you have at about Mile 8 of a Half Mary.

Mile 2 was hit at 5:40, and I was struggling.

Not much to report for the last mile aside from me just hanging onto the back of the heels of this college track runner named Alec. Rounding the corner and entering the high school track where we were to finish, I tried to punch it and take him, to no avail.

Sex/
Age		 Bib Overall

Place

 Age
Place		 Finish
Time		 Pace/
Mile		 AG %
M32 11 11 1 17:38 5:40 73.80 %

I crossed the finish at 17:38 and a 5:40 pace. Only one second slower than the Hoboken 5k the day before… science where are you when I need you?! This makes no sense at all but I’ll take it.

Jim came in followed by Mike and Ed. We all had goals set (without going into them as people’s race times can be personal) and all of us accomplished them! We hung around for the awards presentation as I won 1st in my age group (11th overall which is weird as my bib number was 11) and Jim got 3rd in his!

We went back to Mike’s where we had a fantastic BBQ. The rest of the wives and kids showed up as well. I helped all 7 of the kids paint pumpkins for Halloween which was awesome as I’m an artist at my core (even went to Art College) and got to be creative.

The weekend was fantastic for racing in general. I would like to say ‘hi fives’ to all my friends and acquaintances who raced this weekend whether it be Chicago Marathon, IM KONA World Championships (so jealous), Staten Island Half Mary, or the Hartford Marathon. Big thanks to the Farley’s for hosting us crazy runners!

—

In conclusion, Racing a 5K on both Saturday and Sunday is very strenuous, especially when it involves social activity, not movies and sleep. But, my times for both were just 1 second apart. It’s very strange and I can’t come up with any logical explanation as I should have been more tired the following day. Is there a doctor in the house? Please explain!

Also, in analyzing my almost exact race times from both days and how I placed (3rd and 11th), it just goes to show… you never know who is going to show up on race day.

RACE REPORT: 050 Hoboken UMC 5K: 17:37 – 3rd Place

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This weekend I would attempt a double header 5K. Meaning… the first 5K on Saturday morning and the second on Sunday. I was very curious (scientifically) as to the outcome of both. Would I be faster on the first race, or would that race simply warm me up for Sunday? Stay tuned.

—

Erika and I left Manhattan on the Hoboken Ferry (it’s really the best way to get there, the Path is crap) Friday night after work. Our plan was to meet up with Jenn and Josh, drink our face off, wake up and blaze the Hoboken UMC 5K.

Erika, Josh, and I started at a cute Mexican restaurant and began the night with a few margaritas. Shortly after we met Jenn at their place to relax on their back patio. After a few more drinks we decided that a Nintendo Wii contest was in order.

1:30AM, Wii-ed out (is that a new term perhaps?) and intoxicated, we all went to bed.

RACE DAY

We woke up at 7:45AM after Mike and Meryl arrived to join us for the race. All of us feeling a bit groggy, we made our way out to the start of the race.

It was beautiful out and couldn’t be more perfect for a run.

Jenn (who is pretty fast) and I lined up right in front. I wasn’t sure what I felt like doing as far as the run was concerned, but I knew once we were moving I would figure it out.

The gun went off and the group lunged forward. I held down the left flank and in 30 seconds found myself leading the group. I hate being in this position. It’s called ‘being the rabbit’ and personally I would rather chase the rabbit. (Not to be confused with chasing the dragon.)

Sure enough 3 guys overtook me in at mile 1. It was there that my cousin Phyllis and her boyfriend John made an appearance on the sidelines, cheering me on! Family rules.

It was an out and back course and as the 3 leaders looped around I smiled and pointed at them as if to say “I’m coming for ya!” but they didn’t respond. I was very disappointed as I love fun sportsmen that get my humor. In reality, I would not be coming for them as they were cooking.

At mile 2 I felt good but was really pushing and starting to notice bits a fatigue setting in. I remembered what Danny Abshire from Newton told me during a running workshop in Central Park, “Shake it off, loosen up, then regain your form. It’s what Craig Alexander does.” I did this and it helped a lot. I un-kinked some things and kept along.

I saw Erika and we cheered at each other!

Coming down the finishing stretch there was no way I was going to overtake the lead guys, but on the other hand no one was behind me closing in.

Sex/
Age		 Bib Overall

Place

 Age
Place		 Finish
Time		 Pace/
Mile		 AG %
M32 306 3 1 17:37 5:40 73.80 %

I finished in 17:37 and in 3rd place overall! One of the guys running in the pack ahead wasn’t registered but just want to run it. And I, and I thought I was nuts!

Jenn came in 3rd female overall, then Erika came in 1st in her age group! The 6 of us walked away with 3 trophies!

Erika and I couldn’t stay for brunch so we took the ferry back home.

Later on, Erika’s trophy planted a kiss on mine.

RACE REPORT: 049 Montgomery River Run 5K: 18:24 – 1st Place

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A dear friend of mine, Mike Bowman (or ‘Bowman’) was getting married in the Chicago suburbs October 1st. In preparation for the trip I said to myself, “I should run a race out there since I have never been.” After some difficult research I signed up for the Montgomery River Run 5K Oktoberfest celebration. It was at 9AM the morning after the wedding. Crazy indeed.

SIDENOTE: This is a long post.

I left at 5:30AM Thursday morning to catch my flight. It was relatively painless, although I was up so early I felt like I should be running a Half Marathon or something. “Runner Brain.”

I landed at O’Hare roughly around 9:30AM and had until 4PM to get out to Aurora (a suburb 60 miles west of Chicago) and so I decided to have an ‘Adventure.’ Rather than take the $100 cab directly to Aurora, I took the subway into downtown Chicago to check it out, since I had never visited.

Here is a note to all you Chicago Marathon runners, they are ready for you! Unlike NYCM, there were huge ads and billboards canvassing the city to let everyone know what was coming.

Chicago is great. It’s very clean, has a pretty skyline, and the subway is efficient. I walked around for awhile and then had lunch at a pub.

I took another train out to Aurora and then checked into my hotel. Since all my friends were busy I went for an 8 mile run to explore town and pick up my race number.

That night was the rehearsal dinner and I got to see a lot of good friends.

ROLE CALL!!! Brendan and Stacy, Jeremy, Grant, Leigh, Kevin and Joan, Matt and Kate, Katie, and of course the wedding couple Bowman and Kim. I also made friends with some new people, Eric and Phe, Jay and Snake.

After dinner Kim’s brother Kevin took us all to a ‘speak easy’ of sorts. It was called The Phoenix Club, located in a town hall. You had to be a member to get in and there was a key card swipe to access the bar. This was not the speakeasy that Al Capone frequented. Bright lights, and lots of wood paneling… think truck stop meets Midwest bar. None the less, it was fun. They had the local beer for 75 cents per beer. It was called Old Style and if I knew now what it would do to my head the next day I would have spent the extra 25 cents for a mainstream beer.

We stayed out till 2AM or so and had a blast. All of us as a group haven’t been together in at least 10 years!

The next morning it felt like a squirrel was eating my brain, thank you Old Style.

Jeremy, Eric and I explored the town some more and ended up at a casino for awhile. Nothing like a little roulette at 2PM on a Friday…

The wedding was at 4:30PM so after a shower and getting ‘suited’ up we all made our way to the ceremony. It was really beautiful, set on a gazebo-like structure. The reception immediately followed and everyone jumped into party mode.

At midnight, after a thorough amount of drinking and dancing, I called it a night. The rest of the gang stayed out till 3 or 4 in the morning. A few of them woke me up at 5AM upon their return to the hotel room to give me all the details of what I had missed. After a little coaxing I convinced them to let me sleep as I had to be up at 8:30AM to race.

RACE DAY

In an email dated September 14th to the bride and groom, this was my response to the 5K, “I’m gonna sign up for the race and win it the day after your wedding in honor of you kats.” This was my intention all along, but I was worried about pulling it off. SIDENOTE: I sometimes call people ‘kats’ as in ‘Cool Cats’.

I grabbed a cup of coffee, then Jeremy and I headed out. He was my ride to the race and I am really thankful for him agreeing to do that, otherwise I might have had to run to the run. Ha.

Arriving at the race start, which was the local fire station and town hall, we found Eric waiting for us! He wanted to see this thing go down too. It was sunny and 50 degrees, running perfection and the epitome of Fall.

Everyone knew each other and were kinda milling about. Eric and Jeremy were smiling and they walked over and were like “Baker, you got this man, you can do it!” As I responded with, “Guys! Don’t jinx me!”

The start line was a crosswalk. Yes, it was a small town race. Around 9:15 people decided we could maybe start the race so all 144 of us were huddled in the street. There were a few serious looking runners there geared out and jumping around. A man standing in the lift of the fire truck called the start and then fired the gun.

Taking off in the front 5 runners or so I made the quick decision 50 meters out to just go for it ad I blasted ahead.

There was an ATV leading us down the town roads. It was a pretty simple course in a rectangle. At Mile 1 there was a volunteer and I yelled (as a joke) “How many miles is this thing?” Looking worried she yelled back, “It’s a 3 mile race and you just ran mile 1 in 5:45! Keep going!” I guess my race humor can be a little much at times.

I don’t like to ‘look back’ during races, but if there are turns I do glance back. I did this at one of the turns and didn’t see any runners. I found this odd and had I not been following the leader ATV I might have thought I took a wrong turn.

I felt good and was cooking, but I didn’t feel like I was pushing that hard. Rounding the final turn to the last 1/2 stretch I got pretty excited at the prospect of winning. The finish is a down hill and there were about 10 people (including Jeremy and Eric) cheering us on. Jeremy and Eric were really excited and totally making a cheering ruckus! As I crossed I threw a hand up and yelled “For Bowman and Kim!”

Sex/
Age		 Bib Overall

Place

 Age
Place		 Finish
Time		 Pace/
Mile		 AG %
M32 658 1 1 18:24 5:56 70 %

I got high fives from the fellas and then we cheered on the rest of the runners as they came through. My time was 18:24 which I was happy with even though it wasn’t Sub 17 which is my new 5K goal. Second place came in 50 seconds later followed quickly by the third place guy who was close to overtaking him.

I won a plaque for first place. We couldn’t stick around to watch all the awards as we had to get to the Wedding Brunch which would be ending in the next 30 minutes.

SIDENOTE: the first place female was 54 years old! Totally bad ass!

Arriving at the wedding brunch there were looks of disbelief, then loud cheering! Everyone wanted to hear how the race went down. Some people wondered why on earth I would want to run a race the morning after a wedding? I have no logical answer for this question accept that if you know me, then you know why.

I gave my trophy top Bowman and Kim as a wedding keepsake.

Most of us said goodbye shortly after. A group of us decided to go into Chicago for lunch to kill time before our 7PM flights. I got to be a tourist in a big city for once, instead of being the tour guide. It was actually pretty fun. After lunch we all went to the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower).

It was awesome! They have these clear glass boxes you can stand in and you are literally 1200 feet above the streets. I wont lie, I was scared.

At sundown we headed to the airport to leave the windy city. It was an amazing trip that once again made me realize how great it is to see friends you haven’t seen in ages, and everything is still the same as it always was.