I’m excited to announce that I will be joining the Gotham City Runners as their triathlon coach!
I have known Josh, aka Speedy Sasquatch, aka the Head Coach for about 4 years now and it will be a really fun time joining forces with him. We will have group coaching as well as private coaching available.
So c’mon out and join us!
This weekend was chock full of races! The NY 60K, Philly Marathon, Brooklyn Marathon, Ironman Arizona and the wee bitty 5 mile race I did, Join the Voices.
On Saturday I really dug into New York City. I started the day with ice skating around Wollman Rink (something I do almost every weekend in the winter months). It was a blast, especially due to the warm weather we were having.
After skating I walked home up the east side of the Park watching for Juan who was well underway in his 60K run. I didnt see him, so popped into the apartment to change into running gear and drop off my skates. Back on the scene, running north, I got a cheer from Ali! I pulled over and cheered everyone on along side her. We saw a few friends and then finally Juan came by. I ran with him for a bit chit chatting about whatever. I was trying to take his mind of the pain. I left him at Engineers Gate and hung out with Elizabeth cheering some more.
I grabbed my race bib for Sunday’s race and then wandered around the ol MET. I try to pop in there once every 2 weeks or so you know, because, it’s only priceless artifacts from around the world. I was playing a game (with only me, no other patrons participated) called ‘Find the Oldest Thing.’ The Egyptians always win. It blows my mind looking at pristine specimens of writing and jewelry created 4,000 years ago!
I later met up w Jeff, Alison and Cat for drinks. I convinced them to go to San Mateo for dinner which was maybe the highlight of my weekend. Their pizza is pretty spot on.
RACE DAY
Waking up to race on a grey fall day can be difficult, but knowing that the temperature was in the 50’s got me motivated.
A lil Cafe Bustelo and then a light jog over to the start which was by Tavern. I ‘ran’ into Jess on the way, she too was warming up. I also ran by Claire who yelled out a friendly, “Hey Bakes!”
I jumped in my corral and noticed everyone being shy and staying in the back. Not feeling particularly social as my nerves were a bit edgy, I walked right up to the start mat and hung out. Soon, others followed.
The gun went off and we were all flying down the lower loop. I once again had no watch and was relying on how I felt. At this moment, I felt good so I just hung with the leaders (for a hot second). I had absolutely no pain in my knee even at a speedy rate and so I kept pushing it.
We hit mile 1 around 5:45 and I kind of laughed out loud thinking to myself, “Ha, this pace isn’t going to last.” And it didn’t.
I saw Beth cheering from 72nd Street and yelled out a “Hi!” to her before heading up Cat Hill. It was here that my pace slowed and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I haven’t run a short distance race in awhile so my internal systems were on overdrive.
I hit mile 2 at a 6:10 pace. By now we had really thinned out and I just tried to hold it together.
I noticed someone coming up on my right. It was a speedy female who had a cyclist tracking her. She happened to be the second place woman and was hell-o-fast. We paced each other for miles 3-4 before she took off. It was very helpful having her around.
The West Side Rollers took a lot out of me. They never end!
I came through the finish at 30:31, ten seconds from a PR. I ended up getting a 3rd Place Age Group Award! Sweet!
| Sex/ Age |
Bib | Overall Place | Age Place |
Finish Time |
Pace/ Mile |
AG % |
| M35 | 12 | 19 | 3 | 30:31 | 6:07 | 72.42% |
As soon as I was 10 feet across the finish my friend Antonio came blasting up! He had been right behind me chasing me the whole time! We caught up on life and then did a cool down jog up the east side towards our neighborhoods. I say Beth again and she gave me a high five! We also ran by a volunteer who yelled to us, “Mile 2 coming up guys, looking good!” We had a bit of a laugh at that.
It was a great day for a race and I am happy to say that there was, and is still, no knee pain. I am officially back in business.
—
On a separate note there are a few congratulations in order.
– Big ups to Juan (already an Ironman) who became an Ultramarathoner!
– My friend Doug (who I casually coach) knocked 25 minutes off his marathon time in Philly with a 3:26! Nice!
– My former coach, friend and teammate Sonja rocked a 9:35 at Ironman Arizona earning her a 1st AG Award and her annual ticket to Kona! Awesome!
The 2013 New York City Marathon would be my 11th marathon and my fourth on this course.
Having successfully run Wineglass Marathon 4 weeks earlier, I thought nothing could go wrong. (foreshadowing!)
Saturday morning I went for a shakeout run with my brother Jeff. He was running his first marathon and I had been coaching him through the training season. We chatted strategy,mostly ‘exit strategy’ on getting back to the east side once the finish line was crossed.
That night we had a big family dinner. Jeff and Ali, Abbe’s parents, Uncle John, Aunt Margie, cousins Gillian and Cat and finally Abbe and I.
Normally, I eat some kind of pasta with shrimp in it like Shrimp Scampi, for example. Tonight, the black ink linguine with mussels and clams looked tasty so for the first time in years I ate something different before a big race. THIS IS A CRUCIAL CLUE TO FUTURE EVENTS.
Abbe, Aunt Margie (who was volunteering at aid station 18 and sleeping over on the fold out) and I were all in bed by 10.
RACE DAY
All of us were up having some Cafe Bustelo by 5:30AM. I felt great, albeit very hungry. We made oatmeal to take with us to eat on the ferry since we have 4 hours until start time.
Abs and I met Ali on our corner and we busted down Park Avenue in a cab en route to pick up Jeff. Once we had him we flew down the FDR to the Staten Island Ferry to meet with the rest of the Army.
We found Bethaney, TJ and Mary Craig before we got on the 7AM ferry. Then, miraculously as we sat in the middle bar area of the ferry other friends started finding us! Bojana, Lisa, Elyssa, Maura and Una just appeared out of thin air! It was so much fun rolling deep with so many friends.
I ate my oatmeal and was very relaxed and excited. I had set no expectations and wasn’t even running with a watch. The name of the game was fun.
The buses after the ferry took twice as long due to security searches upon departure. It’s all a necessary precaution now based on current events I suppose.
Since we were running a bit behind I quickly said goodbye to everyone then jogged up to Camp Green. I found the Local Competitive area and was very impressed. We were sectioned off from everyone with our own tents and port-o-johns.
While waiting I bumped into David, Maura, Josh and Kelsey. All of us hung out and then made our way to the front of the Green Start to wait until gun time.
I sat and reminisced a bit being led out with my fast friends to the front of the line. Sitting there, looking around and seeing other friends of mine on the upper deck warming up and waving. It wasn’t too long ago I sat a few corrals back; my first race, all alone and nervous at what to expect. I am very honored to have come to know so many wonderfully talented athletes who I now call dear friends.
This year while waiting the 30 minutes or so to start, I decided to pee in the bushes. Many a man were doing it, and there were actually lines to get to a bush or tree.
We wished each other well, then the canon sounded and the games began.
As we began to run, I felt good, great actually. The minute we started ascending the bridge most runners flanked to the right as there was a very sharp and biting wind coming from our left. I did also not get peed on nor did I see any pee from above. (We were on the lower level.)
Barreling down the span I began to get excited about what lie in store. Fourth Avenue Brooklyn is one of my favorite parts of the course. It’s a straight shot for 8 miles covered in crowds who are practically out on the course with you high fiving and being supportive. Brooklyn also has some great bands, and I happened to see Erin and her band at Mile 4 which was a nice surprise! The other thing that’s nice about this part is that it’s the first 8 miles so you feel great!
I happen to see Juan hanging on the sidelines and got a few shots of me waving!
It was somewhere around here I ran into Joe’s (Cardiac Crusher) brother Mike! We were kicking the same pace and hung out for a second. It was at this point I realized I may not have been in the best running state, as I tried to maintain not only conversation but pace and I was slipping. My legs felt very heavy and so I left Mike so he could push ahead. SIDENOTE: Mike would go to run a 2:57 for his marathon debut! Congrats!
That’s Joe’s brother Mike in black.
At this point I had been pushing a 6:35 pace and would unknowingly hold it for the rest of the race. Unfortunately, I was starting to really struggle with my energy. My knee and legs in general felt fine, my engine was just sputtering.
I plodded on. Matt6 and Steph were going to be at the 10K mark so I started watching. Sure enough, I hear this, “Baaaaaker!” and as I look up Matt6 has his whole body leaned out on the course 500 meters up. I came in tight to the crowd and got barraged with high fives! My spirits soared. It wasn’t long after that I unexpectedly saw my friends Tess and Sascha with there new baby out cheering!
The 8 mile mark hit and we veered right into Fort Greene. This is always a really pretty part of the course as its all tree lined blocks. A sharp left onto Bedford and then we make our long haul towards Queens. Is it just me or does Bedford take FOREVER! I get so sick of it. On a positive note, I saw my old friend Mike Money on Bedford cheering me on! I screamed, “Money Fresh!” which is how we used to roll back in Baltimore, back in the day.
Somewhere around mile 10 I took a Gu. I also noticed here that my face was covered in dried salt, meaning I was secretly sweating it all out. I slammed down a few Gatorades at the next few aid stations and that seemed to put a little pep back in my step.
I cleared the halfway mark right around 1:26 and took another Gu. I slowly ascended the Pulaski Skyway as the wind ripped through us.
Over in Queens I saw Stephan, Amanda and Rich cheering us on! Soon after all of us were running through the more industrial part of the area, the Queensboro Bridge looming in the distance. My energy was far gone and I was thinking about walking parts of the bridge to try and get it together.
Heading up the bridge, we were once again confronted with a strong icy wind. Rather then walk, I just told myself to take it mile-by-mile. I had been in this place many times before, especially during the run of an Ironman or Half Ironman, where you just need to keep pushing. I did slow my pace down and it felt like time was just slipping by. It was here that I wished I had brought my headphones as back up.
Cruising down the tail end of the bridge I actually got a little choked up thinking about what was waiting for us on the Manhattan side. Slowly the white noise of the cheering squats got louder and louder and then, as we hooked that hard left it all erupted!
This is also the point where things got bad. Heading up 1st Avenue at say 65th Street I started to get light headed. I swerved and starting running up the right side of the avenue, less crowded then the left. I’m not sure who I saw as far as friends go, but the friends that saw e aid I looked the worst they had ever seen me. Evidently my head was bobbling around as I ran.
At 86th Street I got the chills and saw bright flashes and almost passed out or blacked out or something. I pulled over, very shaky, and decided that was it. Game over.
With crowds ablaze I walked off the course, and removed my bib. I had a talk with an older man I met named Noel about if I could finish or not.
I went to the first bodega I could find and got an egg and cheese with sausage on a bagel, a muscle milk and a gatorade and devoured all of them in around 5 minutes. I started to feel flush again and made my way home.
I quickly showered and then started tracking people. I noticed the Abbe had also dropped off the radar and got worried. Luckily Stephan and Amanda texted me that they had Abbe and that she dropped out due to an ankle injury but was otherwise okay.
I then rolled down the block to 93rd and 5th to watch for Jeff (and many other runner friends) who were killing it. I happened to bump into Micheal J. Fox (he’s pour neighbor!) who was cheering for his Team Fox runners.
I saw Jeff, Gia, Neal, Elizabeth, and Mary Craig to name just a few.
The rest of the day was spent celebrating at Kinsale Tavern. We had quite a crew of runners with us. It was a total blast!
—
Although sad that I didn’t finish the race, I got enjoy all of my favorite parts of it anyway. From the journey to the start, hanging out at the start, various points in Brooklyn and the mighty after party with all of my dear friends known as the Runner Army… it was still Christmas to me.
The New York City Marathon is my version of Christmas. It is my favorite day of the year and since I discovered it (and the marathon) in 2008 I have only missed 1. Good triumphs over evil and the city rejoices with celebration.
If you wish to track me I am in the first wave, BIB 729.
If you wish to join me and the Runner Army at our after party you can find us at Kinsale Tavern on 3rd Avenue and 94th Street! I will be headed there as soon as I finish and intend to be with beer-in-hand by 1PM.
My 6 week training program may be the most unusual and illogical plan I have ever done. I run when I feel good just to keep my fitness up from Wineglass. I have not run with a Garmin in months and I love it. I just use a timer.
WEEK 4
Wednesday: 5 Miles @ 6:45 pace
I spent the weekend in Portland, Oregon partying with my college buddies, so I didn’t really run. I consider that training for the party after we finish the run Sunday.
WEEK 5
Wednesday: 5 Miles @ 6:35 pace
Friday: 8 mile ‘barefoot beach run’ @ 8:45 pace
1 WEEK TO GO!
I signed up for the Staten Island Half Marathon once I started running again. I had 6 weeks to go from zero miles to a marathon so this race fit right in. My friend Stephan was running it too and it would be his first Half Marathon. I knew we would be celebrating after.
I was worried on Thursday as my legs had not fully recovered from that Sunday’s Marathon. I even went out that morning with Abbe and took like 5 strides before going back inside. Luckily Friday was the magic day. My quads and calves were all healed and I executed a nice 4 miler.
The night before the race Abbe and I stayed in and rested. It had been a busy week AND we had to wake up at 5AM to catch the Staten Island Ferry. Ew.
We watched Ironman Kona LIVE and cheered on our peeps!
RACE DAY
When I woke up at 5AM I was well rested and ready to go. A little Cafe Bustelo and a Clif Bar for fuel. I also need to thank Amy Freeze (our local meteorologist/runner) who was out covering the race. Watching her report she noted that even though it was 55 degrees, it was very windy out there and chilly. Had I not seen that I wouldn’t have brought my windbreaker and would have been frozen!
We popped a cab down the FDR to the Staten Island Ferry and met Stephan and Amanda. The place was jumpin, but nothing like NYC Marathon race day. We piled on the 7:30AM ferry and made our way to the new world. Unlike the rainy forecast from earlier in the week, we had a beautiful sunrise casting some amazing light on Lady L.
I slammed down a bottle of Gen UCANN while on the ferry.
Stephan and I parted with the gals who were on cheer patrol and made our way to the corrals. It was very windy and very chilly. I knew that once I got running I would warm up, but until then I was happy to have my windbreaker (the same one from the Connemarathon).
I was right up front within the first 20 people or so. I placed myself to the left as I wanted people to be able to pass me if I couldn’t kick my initial speed up. After a brief delay we were off.
We were running fast as hell and I was able to hang on like my old self. We wound our way east before turning and heading west toward the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. At mile 1 I eased up on the throttle as if I were a plane that just hit 10,000 feet after takeoff. People passed me, but I just smiled and kept a good rhythm.
I was running without a Garmin and just feeling it all. My knee felt great and my engines were good. The sun was shining and I started heating up. I pulled off the windbreaker and bunched it into a bundle the size of a baseball. It’s an awesome jacket.
The first 3 miles ticked off quickly. I have no idea what my pace was. Maybe 7:30’s? At mile 4 I was feeling great and my old competitive side popped in and I decided to fire it a up a bit. Why not?
Miles 5-7 I was steadily passing people and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. I could feel my quads and calves starting to burn, but I kinda liked it. You go so long without having that familiar running pain you almost welcome it when you can run again.
At this one aid station I heard the ladies yell to the gal right behind me, “You’re 1st female!” “Um, no she isn’t.” I thought. Why would they misinform her like that? I felt it my duty to fix the situation. I slowed down a bit and as she came up along side I said, “You’re in 3rd, the number 2 is just 20-30 seconds up and wearing all black!” She thanked me and proceeded forward. My work was done here. She would go on to take 2nd in the race.
Before the turnaround we saw the leaders come through. 2 guys were way out in front. Cassidy, a local guy (who is a pretty stand up guy) ended up winning it in 1:07. Nice work!
On the way back there was a headwind. Me and a bunch of the local racers (Whippets, Harriers, and North Brooklyn) were working together in a tight flying V. It helped out so much. The minute you tried to leave the pack it was like a blast of air slowing you down. We could also see everyone trailing us. In the mix I saw Erin and my friend Jim, hey guys!
Miles 5-9 are also very uneventful as far as a course goes. Its just a boring open highway. The only saving grace was this DJ under an overpass blasting some tunes. As I happen to be going by he was playing Kiss, ‘Back in the New York Groove’ and it felt really appropriate and made me smile.
By now the miles WERE NOT ticking off quickly. I was getting hot and had to dump some water on my head at an aid station. I had switched on my ipod at this point to try and get me through the final painful miles.
One thing that kept me entertained was the soon to be 3rd place female. Out of nowhere she comes blasting past me in red Newtons, almost like dancing to whatever was on her headphones. She was pretty awesome. The two of us overtook the 3rd place female, hence she became 3rd, and pretty much leapfrogged the last few miles.
The course itself is actually quite hilly, and the last mile or so is a doozy of an uphill. Thank god you then get a flat break followed by a downhill to the Finish. I blazed down the hill and made a left to the end when I noticed this dude trying to sprint ahead of me! Not today buddy. I kicked it up a bit more and blasted ahead, coming in at 1:27:33!
| Sex/ Age |
Bib | Overall Place | Age Place |
Finish Time |
Pace/ Mile |
AG % |
| M35 | 123 | 144 | 21 | 1:27:33 | 6:40 | 68.16% |
Filtering into the finish line festival I noticed this awesome band playing Bruce Springsteen (so well in fact) that I thought it might have been him. I looked for Abbe and Amanda, but I couldn’t find them. I grabbed a slice of pizza and checked out the band. They were playing a great selection of cover songs and were really good.
After 30 minutes or so I went to watch for Stephan to finish. I found and congratulated him and then we were spotted by the gals.
Back to NYC! We hopped on the ferry and had celebratory beers procured by the gals! Thanks!
Once we were back on the other island we hit one of our favorite spots, Fraunces Tavern, for some food. We spent the rest of the day out with friends all over the city celebrating since Stephan rocked his first Half Marathon!
Disclaimer: I should have been wearing my team gear ( Kompetitive Edge ) but I haven’t done laundry since last weekend’s Wineglass Marathon so my kit was dirty!
I have really been enjoying my ability to run again. It reminds me of my early days in 2008 when I first started. I have been running without a Garmin most of the time and just going by feel.
WEEK 2
Wednesday: 5 Miles @ 6:50 pace
Thursday: 4 Miles @ 7:00 pace
Friday: (I stayed home from work sick but wanted to get an easy run in as it was nice out.) 3 Miles @ 8:30 pace
Sunday: I was supposed to do 16 and if my knee hurt (as that would be the greatest distance run since April) stop. My knee didn’t hurt so I just finished the marathon.
WEEK 3
Recovery is the name of the game. Dr. Levine loosened up my calves Tuesday.
Friday: 4 Miles @ 7:45 pace
Saturday: 5 Miles @ 7:45 pace (reverse taper? maybe.)
Sunday: Staten Island Half Marathon 13.1 Miles @ 6:40 pace. Once again, I was supposed to use this as training but got caught up and at Mile 4 decided to pick up the pace. NO KNEE PAIN!!!
This style of training is seemingly ridiculous on paper, but it seems to be working.
Congratulations to all of my friends who raced KONA, Chicago and Mohawk Hudson this weekend!
The concept of ‘Mind over Body’ is nothing new to the Marathon and Ironman community. Runners commonly refer to a marathon as 10% physical, 90% mental.
For Week 2 of my NYC Marathon training plan I ran:
Wednesday: 5M Easy
Thursday: 4M MGP
Friday: 3M Easy
I had a discussion with Dr. Levine about the Wineglass Marathon and we decided it would be a great opportunity to get an aided training run in. I was to run around 16 miles, if it hurt at any point stop.
I stayed home from work on Friday because I caught what Abbe had the day before, this random sore throat thingy. After resting for most of the morning and drinking my magic ginger elixir I walked down to the drug store to get a flu shot. It later dawned on me that getting one 2 days prior to a race might not be smart as I could have gotten slightly sick.
That night I met Abs, Claire, and Bojana down at Naples 45 for happy hour and dinner. After stuffing our face with meatballs and pizza we shuffled onto a train heading to Claire’s folks (Kathy and Mike) house. I was feeling slightly better.
Mike picked us up and delivered us safely to the Walsh Lair where we had some tasty alcoholic beverages. I retired early to ensure that the germs would leave my body.
Then next morning, feeling great, the 3 of us went on a shake out run around Connecticut. We even passed Gene Wilder’s house. I am only mentioning that because I love him for all of his Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryness. My knee felt awesome.
Later on, as we prepared to leave crowds gathered, wishing us well on our journey into the wild. They brought us glad tidings and many gifts. I’m just kidding, but Kathy and Mike waved as we departed! Our 5 hour car adventure had begun with Claire ‘Booze Cruise Control’ Walsh behind the wheel.
After 2 hours on the road it was approaching feeding time. We all agreed that we were too snobby to stop at a fast food place and a mom-n-pop shop or a diner would be much more suitable. As we came over a rolling countryside hill a sign for ‘Last Licks Sub Shop’ caught our eye. We were very very excited and exited appropriately.
DISCLAIMER: If you have no interest in how great our food experience was, because I am going to elaborate, please skip to SECTION: 7759
Imagine if you will, a white one story house with an outdoor wooden patio nestled in a gravel parking lot surrounded by the tallest and most beautiful pine trees. Wood cut outs of kids and sandwiches in vibrant colors attached to the outside. If the Muppets (more specifically Dr. Teeth and the ELECTRIC MAYHEM) could have opened a sub shop, this was it!
We entered a small room, with an open ordering area to our right and were greeted by the owner. He was a man in his 50’s casually dressed who welcomed us with open arms. “Well hello there! Are you looking to use the bathroom, or are you hungry?” We smiled and informed him of our desire to gorge ourselves with sandwiches. “Well you have come to the right place. We can serve em up toasted, on rye, a sub roll or maybe you want a panini?” I am a sucker for a good turkey sandwich so that’s exactly what I ordered. Unlike NYC, he told us we could pay him AFTER we ate. “Go sit outside on the patio, I’ll bring these out to you when ready.” What? If only all humans could be as nice and hospitable as this man. SIDENOTE: If you could pay after you ate in NYC, you wouldn’t get paid.
Needless to say, the sandwiches were awesome. We sat out in the clean mountain air in peace, taking in mother nature and our much needed lunch.
SECTION: 7759
Back on the road we started to notice just how beautiful it was out in the mountains. The trees were in full autumn color.
Arriving in Corning and making our way to the Expo we immediately saw Kelly and Betsy on the street. Abbe hollered out at them and it kinda felt like some gang from New York was converging on this small town to take over. Actually, that IS what was happening!
We got our Bibs, shirts, etched wine glass, champagne and then made our way to the luxurious Ramada. Claire was hungry so we made the decision to go to the hotel bar. Oh, and c’mon, what else were we going to do, we had 4-5 hours to kill.
The hotel bar ‘It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere Lounge’ was certainly not a lounge and opened ironically at 5PM. It was more like your friend’s dad’s man cave, but with a bunch of 4 top tables. The whole place was carpeted like the hotel and in one corner was a pool table and a TV on a roll-y stand. The 10 seat bar had Quick Pick games playing on one TV and Nascar on another.
Numbers representing 26.2, Bib 63, Bib 1980 and Bib 1031.
The draft beers were $2.75 and I have to say I loved the place. I was really sad we had to run the next day and really couldn’t take advantage of our time here in the ‘It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere Lounge’. After a couple beers, potato skins and some french fries (yes, I know you are all shaking your heads) we headed off to the room. Abs had made us a homemade pasta dish which we nibbled on as we watched National Treasure. Claire had never seen it so Abs and I were trying to fill her in on why it was awesome. She will probably never watch it again. Abs fell asleep by 8, Claire and I watched Can’t Hardly Wait until 9 at which point we both decided it was time to go dark.
RACE DAY
I slept so damn well. The gals wanted to wake up at like 4:45AM and I was like “F that!” Even though I heard them giggling and prancing around I still managed to rest until a 5:30 or so. I grabbed some sub par hotel coffee and started waking up. I had zero race jitters, mainly because my future was unwritten. It felt so liberating. I didn’t give a damn. I even ate some shit bagel from the hotel restaurant that may have been made of sand. I have 2 rules… never eat pizza outside of New York and never eat Bagels outside of New York. I was living on the edge.
Claire was rocking out to that song “All I do is win, win, win no matter what.” It would be rattling around in my head all day.
We drove to the center of town and hopped on a bus.Wineglass is a point to point (much like Boston) so we had 30 minutes to chill. The weather was nice, 60 degrees with a slight on-off drizzle. I had mixed up some Gen UCANN to eat. Ever since one of my Kompetitive Edge teammates told the team about the stuff 2 years ago I have been hooked. It sent me to my marathon PR in May of 2012 so I know it works. I had to Gu’s stuffed into my tri shorts for back-up as well.
SHOE TALK! In case anyone is curious, I had my trusty Newts on. I have been running in them since 2009 and they seem to work for me. The Kinvaras I had been testing were messing up my knee based on toe-to-heel profile last week so they were out.
We linked up with Kelly and Betsy soon after we arrived at the staging grounds. The sun was rising and I knew it was going to push the rain away. I wanted happy sunshine, even if it meant heat.
While drinking my Vanilla UCANN I convinced Betsy and Kelly that I was drinking milk and that was my secret. I enjoy pranks and this was no exception. “It’s actually Half-n-Half. It gets me going.” This lasted maybe 3 minutes.
As we lined up for the start I placed myself with all the gals instead of down at the front. Remember, at this moment all I wanted to do was run 16 miles pain free. After a very strange rendition of the National Anthem the gun went of. It took us 2 minutes to hit the Start mat. SIDENOTE: New runners, always count in your head if you are in the back and don’t cross the start immediately.
I had neither a Garmin or headphones, I was running totally rogue.
We all started running together (obviously) and I just did my thing. It was a long downhill and we were all shifting and adjusting where we were. Everything felt pretty good, but I didn’t want to push it.
After a few miles I wanted to leave Abbe and Claire alone. Abbe had asked Claire to be her pacer and I know all too well what happens if there are other people around when that is happening so I pulled ahead by 5-10 feet.
At mile 4 I pulled over for a pee break. I even used a porta-pottie. Back on the road I immediately ran (ha) into Kelly. We chatted for a hot second then I took off. It was at this point I started to increase my speed ever so slightly. You see, I thought I saw the 3:15 pace group ahead so I was trying to pass them. In reality, I had just passed the 3:40 pace group so logic should have stepped in.
I was really excited to be running some crazy fast pace after being injured and then I realized that it was actually the 3:35 pace group! Baker you fool!
It was riiiiight around this point, mile 6, that things changed. My gears slowly started shifting. Everything felt great and the scenery was beautiful, so why not?! I had broken the course into four, 6 mile quadrants. Yes, I know that doesn’t add up to 26, but who cares. I had just passed quadrant 1 and was on a roll.
Just like my pre-injured days I started picking out human targets in the distance and hunting them down. My pace was increasing. The Old Baker was resurfacing.
I passed the 3:35 pacers, then the 3:30 pacers, then the 3:25 pacers… thinking, “Am I pushing it too much?”
I took half of a Gu at mile 10. Mile 10 was also fun because some guy looked at me and was like, “was that mile 10!?” “Yeah man! They are ticking off fast now!” we laughed and then I proceeded.
SIDENOTE: Aside from having no Garmin, there were no time clocks anywhere. I had no idea how fast I was going.
As I crossed the half I yelled to the gal, “What time is it?” She slowly responded that i was roughly 9:45. Was that good? Was it bad? I still didn’t care, I was having a blast just running to run. Try it sometime, I dare you.
The next couple miles were a blur of small towns and remote roads. Somewhere around mile 16 I was passing an aid station and some guy yelled “Go Lord Baker!” That is my twitter handle, and after a quick glance I had no idea who this was, but it made me happy! Thank you twitter friend for pushing me onward!
OVERDRIVE.
It was at this point I needed to analyze my knee situation. Situation? No pain. What to do? Well, I have come this far, why not just finish the marathon. We will, of course, need to pick up the pace a bit.
Smiling, I increased my pace and went off into the unknown.
By now I had 1 full Gu in me. I had no energy loss what so ever but planned on eating my last Gu at mile 20 and 24 splitting it in half as I always do and washing it down with aid station water.
Mile 17 to 19 was rough as we were running along side a highway with a headwind. The weather never really bothered me as much as it did my lady friends, but I think it’s because I was just enthralled at the idea that I was running.
At mile 20 I had a fun encounter. As I came upon, and intended to pass, this shirtless guy he says, “Well hello there!” I chuckled and said hello back, asking how he was. He was good. I replied, “I have to tell you, I am really enjoying myself and the weather is perfect!” Incorrectly thinking I was going to move forward he said, “Well friend, I have to disagree with you there. It has been favorable at times, but at other moments quite hot.” Not wanting to get into a debate about the government shutdown I agreed and explained that I had to push on.
There was no ‘wall’ for me. This has happened a few times and when it does the only thing that registers is knowing that miles 20-26 are going to be hell. Ha! Aren’t they always?!
Just keep moving is all I was telling myself. Waves of pain would overcome me followed by periods of bliss, where I was flying down the road. I had no idea what my pace was, all I knew was that if I held together I would finish a marathon that was removed from my race list months ago. The only reason I didn’t cancel entry then is that I wouldn’t get a refund, so I figured I could at least get a shirt or something.
Where as before, the miles ticked off fast, now 1 mile seemed like an eternity. I kept saying to myself, “Surely I must have overlooked that mile 22 marker?” Not the case. I always like to yell in Ironman races at mile 20 that “Things are about to get REAL!” and that’s exactly what was happening.
The true test of human willpower and might can happen anywhere in a marathon. It is the individuals race, and therefore the individual has different emotional experiences. These last 3 miles miles were very hard as I thought about actually finishing this marathon. Was it possible? With only 2 weeks of training under my belt, the longest distance I had run in 6 months being 12 miles just the weekend before, was it enough? Mind over body baby.
One of my silly mantra when racing is, “There is no pain, only glory.” The meaning behind this is that the human mind creates pain in order to get you to stop dong something, like running. If you can subdue that urge and override the pain setting, then anything is possible. I just kept running. In fact, I have walked aid stations in 7 of my 10 marathons (not counting Ironman) and I did not walk at all during this race. I wanted it bad. Just keep running, no matter what the pace.
Rounding the final turn, the finish line was off on the horizon, similar to Boston. I would never get there. And yet, I did, finishing in 3:17 and change. My very first marathon was a 3:15 and so I felt like I was back where I started.
| Sex/ Age |
Bib | Overall Place | Age Place |
Finish Time |
Pace/ Mile |
AG % |
| M35 | 63 | 100 | 16 | 3:17:30 | 7:31 | 67% |
It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes…
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
– TS Eliot
I did know the place for the first time and I knew, as I have always known, that this is what I live for. The sense of accomplishment, camaraderie and the painful yet acceptable feeling that I AM ALIVE, will always keep me coming back for more.
I grabbed an apple, water, and a gatorade followed by a slice of pizza and chicken noodle soup. I sat down on the curb and kind of took it all in. Sitting on the curb eating my soup, watching all my people come through. If I had to form an army, I would choose marathoners.
I made friends with this guy named Mike, then Kelly came through. We watched as Betsy broke 4 hours! Nice job soldier. I hung around for awhile before time started slipping away and wondering where Abbe and Claire may have been. I decided to check our meeting spot even though I hadn’t seen them come through the chute. There were there chillin out.
We hightailed it back to the hotel for a shower then took off toward NYC.
Ironically, Abbe’s Dad was in Binghampton so we stopped there (at Sharky’s) to have lunch. Aunt Peggy and Cousin John as well as a few other local family members came by as well. It was a blast AND we were ravenous.
—
I have to thank Dr. Levine big time. He has only been working with me for 6-8 weeks and my progress has obviously been dramatic! Big ups to Kompetitive Edge for all my amazing gear!
I think the reason I had such a great experience was that I did not give a damn about anything aside from running injury free. With no Garmin I had no timing. Not knowing if I would finish kept me from wanting to achieve a certain time. I recommend everyone try this at least once in their running. Its quite liberating.
The human body is much more than muscle and mass, it is heart and mind. Last Sunday, I truly felt Beyond Defeat.
My ‘A Race’ this fall is now the NYC Marathon after bowing out of Wineglass Marathon and Beach2Battleship Full Iron. I had a great full week of training for my 6 week plan. 
SUNDAY: 1 Mile @ 5:25 pace at the 5th Avenue Mile.
Then I saw Dr. Levine and he did his magic.
TUESDAY: 4 Miles @ 8:30 pace
THURSDAY: 6.5 Miles @ 6:55 pace.
Saw Dr. Levine again.
That night we went to The Met and in my favorite room (The Temple of Dendar), there was a party!
SATURDAY: 12.5 miles @ 7:45 pace! My furthest distance in months!
I ran with Abbe and Bojana and then pulled away from them after 3 miles as I needed to get inside my head. After I finished I waited for them at Engineers Gate and had a moment of zen. Any local runner knows that Engineers is the center of the running universe as far as NYC is concerned, so it should be of no surprise to see friends. While I waited, Meggie and Gia rolled up, followed by Elizabeth! Hi runner pals!
We celebrated our runs by eating doughnuts from the new Dough Loco, it was amazing!
You will notice no cross training on my plan. Dr. L and I discovered that biking irritates my IT Band, pulling on my patella the wrong way. Until NYCM is over running, and swimming is the name of the game.
I love the 5th Avenue Mile. For a few minutes you hit hyper drive, maxing out your breathing and heart rate and as soon as you think you are going to die, it’s over.
The day before I did an easy 5 miles and then headed over to Elizabeth and Juan’s wedding in The Central Park. It was beautiful, fun, and chock full of runners in civilian attire. That night I headed down to the Kitchen Hell’s) for some carbo loading with Maura, Aiden, Dennis, Bojana and Elyssa. Pasta and beer… everything the body needs to survive.
RACE DAY
I took my time getting up since my heat wasn’t until 9:55AM! I even cleaned the apartment.
Dr. Levine has been doing an awesome job getting me back into the game. I have had 3-4 weeks now of zero knee pain during my 2-6 mile, easy tempo runs. I was excited to race and also very nervous as I had not done any speed work in months.
We live close to the start so it was an easy warm up over to where all the runners were converging. I immediately saw Erica. We caught up and did some warm ups before bumping into Elizabeth and Juan, dressed in wedding gear for the run! I ran into Joshie and a few of his Gotham City Runners who looked ready to rock. Finally, I ended up down 5th by 77th Street to watch the 2 heats before mine when a friendly voice next to me says, “Hey Baker!” It was Robert, who was taking pictures and running in the media heat (he works for Runner’s World.)
After watching a few heats I made my way back up to the start. My knee felt great and I was starting to get pumped.
This was my 4th time racing this puppy and I now have my strategy down pat. I lined up hard left and about 10 deep. The gun went off and it took 3-4 seconds to hit the start mat which I thought was strange.
There were a few guys in front of me running a lot slower than I wanted to. As soon as the gates opened up I busted out to the left and hit overdrive, flying last them my heart rate redlining. I saw Jess yelling at me at this moment and waved.
My strategy for the mile is simple, run as hard as you can. No watches, no pacing, no fear of pain. 5 minutes of hell.
The first 1/4 mile was going great, then I hit the uphill at 70th street making my way to the 1/2. It was hear that all those months of zero training took their toll. I was exhausted and thirsty and wanted to drop out bad, my pace slowing. I tried to ignore the pain.
Then, something miraculous happened. As I crested the hill and began making my way down the final 1/2 mile stretch to my left I heard Robert and Erica yelling my name! I perked up and gained some power, then to my right my step-brother Matt and step-cousin Meghan (in town visiting for the weekend) yelled at me, sparking yet another boost power surge!
Finishing the race I saw that I was already over the 5 minute mark. I knew I would never break my PR of 4:57, but I was hoping to be kind of close. I crossed at 5:25, satisfied to have raced and that the race was over!
| Sex/ Age |
Bib | Overall Place | Age Place |
Finish Time |
Pace/ Mile |
AG % |
| M35 | 318 | 412 | 65 | 5:25 | 5:25 | 70.11% |
I’m back baby! My wheels are good, I just need to get my engine back in high octane mode!
The rest of the day was spent with my Step-Mom, one of my Step-Brothers, Colleen, Meghan, Grandma Kitty, Jeff and Ali at a bar watching Sunday football. There was even a random surprise of Doug and Danika being in the same bar, so they hung out as well!
My 6 week marathon training plan starts now.
