Category Archives: Running

Baker’s Funtastic Four Miler

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Abbe and I were chatting last night about her possible Jingle Bell Jog 3.7 mile race the next morning. She was excited to test her speed at a shorter distance race, but unexcited to travel to Brooklyn early in the morning to do so. I suggested that I time her as she run the 4 mile loop of Central Park.

Then was born… Baker’s Funtastic Four Miler. It’s part of New York Rogue Runners, a secret group of runners who create their own races. Unlike New York Road Runner races, these races have prizes! My race had a lovely bottle of cabernet sauvignon up for grabs.

RACE DAY

Abbe and I set out to the start (72nd Street and East Drive) to arrive by 10AM. It was a beautiful and brisk day.

Slowly our competitors showed up. This was kind of last minute so I didnt expect many. Abbe, Susan, Bojana, Elyssa, and Stephan donned their hand made bibs and prepared to start. I gave them race instructions in my best Peter Chacha impersonation.

Using my iPhone stop watch synced with my trusty Rolex I sent the runners off!

It’s weird not racing. I just kinda hung out and drank my coffee, watching other runners go by. Waiting…

First in was Susan!(soon after our friend Ali came to cheer. She was a little late but assured us she would race next time!)

A few minutes later Bojana!

Then, Abbe and Elyssa cruised in.

Finally, Stephan arrived!

Everyone had a good race aside from them all missing my secret aid station at Mile 2.We had a small awards ceremony where Susan won her bottle of wine and a hug.

Congrats to all the racers! Times posted below!
1: Susan 28:56
2: Bojana 31:57
3: Abbe 32:56
4: Elyssa 32:58
5: Stephan 39:50

 

 

 

RACE REPORT: 069 The Voices 5M – 30:21

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After 2 weeks off (and I mean off) from Ironman, this weekend was a swift introducing back to the world of running.

Saturday, Claire threw her 3rd annual Beer Run. It’s an event not to be missed, kind of like a runner holiday party. Here’s the skinny… run to a bar, drink… then run to another bar… drink; rinse and repeat. Sound like fun? It is.

There were 40 of us this time and by the 3rd bar we were all ‘loosey goosey’ making the running between bars that much more interesting. I got to see all of my runner friend’s from the Runner Army minus one or two who couldn’t make it due to religious obligations. As always it was a blast, thank you Claire for organizing!

This made for a good warm up for Sunday’s NYRR sanctioned race.

RACE DAY

I left my apartment with plenty of time to spare and walked over to the Park. There, I ran into Annalise and Lisa (who were also racing). New York really is a small town.

I jumped in my corral and hung around, thinking about what I was going to do. ‘Should I race this thing, or just run it?’ My legs didn’t feel quite lucid yesterday during Beer Run so I was worried that my speed was lacking.

Out of nowhere Sebastian, Robert, Antonio and Helen showed up! Oh, I also got to finally meet Joe G in person! Nice to finally meet you! We all chatted about… you know… running. Gotta say, making running friends the last few years has been really special. The fact that all of us were just hanging out on a Sunday at the Start talking shop is so cool. You not only feel like part of the running community, but of the community in general.

The gun goes off and we set it off, like getting shot out of a canon. It was pretty crowded the first mile as everyone eased into their paces. I hit Mile 1 right around 6 minutes and said to myself “F-it I guess I’m racing this thing.”

Around Mile 2 Robert and Antonio passed me. They were on a sub 30 minute mission and were killing it.

I wasn’t wearing a watch so at Mile 3 I tried some quick math and figured I was running 6:30s or so. Why are numbers so puzzling!

I felt pretty good as far as my legs were concerned. I mean, I was exhausted from running hard, but overall I felt healed from Ironman and was happy. I had been leapfrogging with a gal from Warren Street (Robert, Seb and Antonios team) and at Mile 4 she saw I was fading. She ran along side of me and said “Come on!” This helped tremendously (thank you) and I just focused on keeping my pace steady.

I came in at 30:21 and actually wasn’t concerned with the time at all. Abbe even asked me, moments later, “Was that a PR?” “Naw.” I responded, as I chowed down on a raisin bagel. Sonja actually emailed me later and told me it was. Oops.

Sex/
Age		 Bib Overall Place Age
Place		 Finish
Time		 Pace/
Mile		 AG %
M33 131 136 29 30:21 6:05 71.14%

There were kids races after and Joe had brought his family to race! Too cute man. Oh, and Robert and Antonio broke 30, congrats guys! Yeah and Seb came in 6th overall with a 26:01. That’s a 5:13 pace, killer!

It was a fantastic weekend for racing. It was so great to see all my running friends! I was also very happy that I had my legs back after the Ironman.

 

 

 

RACE REPORT: 067 NYC Marathon – 3:00:48

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The New york City Marathon is the single greatest marathon on Earth. I tell you this having only run 6 marathons total, 3 of them in New York.

2 million people come out to spectate along the course and the only time there aren’t any crazed fans screaming or banging away on cowbells is while going over the Queensboro Bridge.

—

Since April I have been training for Ironman Arizona, which happens to take place 2 weeks after the NYCM. As the race approached, Coach Sonja decided that the NYCM would be raced, instead of used as a training run! This both excited and terrified me as I would be held accountable for my performance rather than just take it easy.

Saturday night Abbe made an amazing dinner of Shrimp Fra Diavlo, one of my pre-race staples. Her friends Bradley and Chrisitin were in town for the weekend so they joined us as well as my brother Jeff and my soon-to-be sister-in-law Ali. I think I was in bed by 10, which was really 9 due to the time change that would take place in the middle of the night.

Thank god I slept well Friday night because I certainly did not Saturday. I woke up every hour on the hour. This was due more to shear excitement rather than nervousness. I love NYCM more than Christmas, so the faster it arrives the better. Instead of presents, you get pain! Super.

I met my neighbor Kelly at 5:45AM out front and we popped a cab to pick up Meggie. It was the most desolate I have ever seen 2nd Avenue.

We boarded the Ferry at 6:15 and soon found out Susan, Betsy and Megan also were on board. We linked up and formed an Army, a Runner Army.

Once we were at Fort Wadsworth I said goodbye to my friends as I was in the Orange Camp while they were in the Green.

I sat down in a sunny spot and proceeded to eat my steel cut oats, basking in the warm morning air. Previous NYCM’s were a bit cold and windy, or maybe, just maybe I’m getting tougher! Naw. You crazy Baker.

Having 45 minutes until Corrals opened I just kinda walked around aimlessly, saying hi to a handful of runners I knew, and using the port-o-potties when I passed them. At 8:20 they announced the opening of Corrals and since I was pretty much full of oatmeal and bored to tears I thought it appropriate to move into new scenery.

Arriving at my start Corral, there were maybe 100 people stretching and sitting around. Since I am anti-stretching, I just walked up to the front and started chatting with the race volunteers who were actually organizers and in charge of ‘stuff.’ Time passed and then they instructed us front guys that we were going to lead the Orange Corral out to the Start. “Whaaaaa?” “Are we the lead Corral for Orange?” She informed me that yes we were and she needed us to lock arms to prevent others front running past to try and get a better position. This was really cool.

Right before we walked out I heard them announce (in the distance at the Start) the Footlocker 5-Boro Challenge runners and my friend Elizabeth! I smiled and clapped and looked around wanting to tell someone, “Hey, that’s my friend Eliz! How cool!” until I realized all my neighbors spoke terrible English being from France or Italy or Ohio. Ha I’m kidding, just wanted to throw a dig at Ohio.

Slowly walking out to the bridge, of course there were some schmucks (from Italy) who ran around to get in front of us. They were yelled at by the organizers. I mean really guys? You are already like 4 rows from toeing the Start. I was right on the Start mats in the sun with 30 minutes to go. It was awesome. What was not awesome was all the dudes peeing on the right side. I don’t really care about seeing that, hell puke if you want to, I just don’t want to think about HAVING to pee.

The gun went off and in a hot second we were bookin’ it up the bridge. Knowing that even though I may be fast, I am no 2:45 marathoner like many of the guys behind me, so I moved far right. It was so cool having no one in front of me as I was crossing the Verrazanos. I will never forget it.

I will also never forget this: As we approached the apex of the bridge, to my right a few TV crew cars were passing, filming something behind me. Well duh, they were filming the Professionals coming up from the rear! SIDENOTE: Pros start in Blue and are situated like 500 yards behind Orange based on course turns. All of us running were freaking out. As the Pro group came up on our right we all started cheering for Meb. Lots of guys were yelling stuff about being on TV but I hardly think we were more interesting then the fellas cookin it at a 4:30 Per Mile Pace.

I flew down the bridge taking advantage of the downhill.

Mile 1: 6:26
Mile 2: 5:42

Sure enough as we hit Bayside and started making our way North I had to pee. Thanks a lot to the guys in my Corral peeing all over the place. I pulled over and jumped into a port-o-pottie, losing an easy 2-3 minutes JUST LIKE LAST YEAR. SIDENOTE: Last year I ran NY in 3:02:00 and attribute my pee break to not breaking 3 hours.

Today I wasn’t concerned with breaking 3. I broke 3 in January and that has satisfied my speed needs for now. I wanted to run a great race with what I have learned this year. Mainly, nutrition and how I can use it more efficiently. I was told by Sonja that eating ‘Race Burritos’ was out of the question. Instead I was going to go mind over matter and use a few Gu’s.
Onward! Picking up the pace and kicking it up I switched my Garmin to only show me my heart rate. I was maintaining a 173 and felt that it was a good rate.

Mile 3 – 6:09
Mile 4 – 7:15 (pee break)
Mile 5 – 6:12

Running up 4th Avenue I was very strategic on liquids, listening to my body very carefully to see if I needed Gatorade or not. I probably hit every other aid station.

Up ahead I saw a familiar form. This guy running topless, completely jacked, my height and on even pace with me. I had not only run along side of him in 2 other NYC Marathons, but had seen him at many local races. We both nod at each other (think Darth and Obe Wan before Darth kills Obe Wan) but in a friendly way. As I rolled up along side of him we fist bumped and say hi. We had a brief chat about pace in which he stated he want to go Sub3. Looking at my Garmin our pace was well beyond that and I assured him we were doing well.

We ran quietly side by side, overtaking many a runner, for the next 10 miles. We were a force to be reckoned with.

At Mile 6 I said, “Yo, names Baker, never caught yours in all these years of running.” “Names Rowland. Cool to finally meet you Baker.” It’s really fantastic to run with an experienced runner because you both know to shut the hell up and just run, chatting only when needed.

Mile 6 – 6:21
Mile 7 – 6:27
Mile 8 – 6:29

Cruising past Atlantic Terminal and onto Lafayette (and into Fort Greene) I mentally told myself Sector 1 was over, 3 more Sectors to go. (I break up races mentally by course logistics) I was still feeling really good, but knowing that Williamsburg and Greenpoint lay ahead (2 of my least favorite parts of the course) was bringing me down.

I’ll tell you what helped adjust my attitude! Bryan’s ‘High Five Station!’ SIDENOTE: Bryan and Deeds used to live in NYC, recently moving to Boston.  They invented the ‘High Five Station’ during a local race where I got to actually cheer and participate ringing the cow bell and high fiving runners It’s awesome. Well, just as I round a corner is Bryan with the ‘High Five Station’ set in place. I was on the opposite side of the street so I just waved as he yelled my name. Then, something inside me said, “No way. That just aint right.” I stopped and ran against the flow for a couple yards, almost hitting a German guy dead on. I jumped up and gave Bryan a sick high five, screamed, then went on my merry way. If you aren’t having fun out there then why the hell run in the first place right? Right?

Mile 9 –   6:30
Mile 10 – 6:25
Mile 11 – 6:35
Mile 12 – 6:19

I really hate the Pulaski Skyway too. It sucks. It’s hot, a crazy incline and a pre-cursor to the Queensboro Bridge which is just a mile away. Rowland told me we were hitting the halfway point at 1:25:00. I’ll take it.

Mile 13 – 6:32
Mile 14 – 6:40

Entering Long Island City I saw 2 familiar faces, Amanda and Stephan Walker, cheering me on! Soon after I ate the 1st of 2 Gu’s I would eat all day. I washed it down with some delicious water. Then, the Queensboro reared it’s mighty head and for the first time all day we were in darkness, ascending in pain. I felt like walking, but I held on. Many people passed me as I slowed my pace to a 7:45.

Descending toward mighty Manhattan the sound of the crowds ever so slightly grew until the noise emulated that of a football game. My pace quickened and as I rounded the corner onto 1st Avenue as I was overwhelmed with energy, the crowds 5-10 deep. I tried to not let it affect my speed, maintaining some sort of logical pace as I still had 10 miles to go. For those that have never experienced this moment in the race, it really is an overwhelmingly proud time to be a New Yorker, having your entire city route for you.

I had broken the final 10 miles into 2 Sectors, miles 16-21 up 1st Avenue into da Bronx and 21-26 down into Manhattan for the finish.

My crew (Abbe, Mad Dog, Stryker, Jeff, Ali, Phyllis, Jon, Billy, Shamin, and a few more) were waiting for me at 83rd Street. My heart rate monitor happened to be annoying me to I took it off and tossed it over to Abbe.  I also saw my super, Charlie, who was cheering people on as well! He yelled to me in his 80 year old Italian accent, “Chris! Go get em!” Rowland was gone since there was no reason for him to say hi to my friends, so I was off running on my own again.

Mile 15 – 7:16
Mile 16 – 7:57 (Bridge alert)
Mile 17 – 7:17

Getting up 1st Avenue takes forever. I was trudging along, trying to keep my pace in check, but knowing that I had lost some steam. My quads were on fire, which is not normal. It’s always my calves that seem to hurt during a distance race.

It got me thinking… what DOESN’T hurt during a marathon? There are no excuses. Pain, fatigue, upset stomachs and mental anguish are all foreseen factors. The question is, will you stop or will you dig deep and push forward knowing you have trained properly and have the courage to face the task at hand?

Mile 18 – 6:50
Mile 19 – 7:20
Mile 20 – 7:34

The Bronx wasnt as bad as I remember it the last 2 times. You’re only there for like a mile anyway. Mile 21 was like an angel greeting me back onto my island, sending me home.

Pushing through Harlem the blinding Autumn sun is right in your face. I saw Stu, Claire, Heather and Anna cheering me on right around Mile 22. Oh, and Marcus Garvey Park showed up right in the middle of Fifth Avenue as usual. I hate going around this park, such a time killer. When I’m Mayor I’m moving it between Avenues, a more logical setting. I ate my second and last Gu at this point, wishing for some speed.

Mile 21 – 7:46
Mile 22 – 7:29
Mile 23 – 7:42

The absolute worst part of the course is Mile 22 ½ to Mile 24. Its a steady uphill during the end of a marathon, not cool. I saw Amy here yelling at me to, “Go Baker go!” I tried. I did manage to hold a steady pace and as I neared the entrance to the Park where the incline leveled out I looked at the time. I had 15 minutes to travel 2 miles in order to break 3 hours. It was like some twisted math problem, and I hate math.

I thought to myself, “Hmmm, should I make an attempt? It is my backyard after all, I know the rest of the course like the back of my hand. I only have to go DOWN Cat Hill!” Sure, lets try and break 3 with 2 miles to go. I threw in the clutch and punched it.

I saw Erica and Jess followed by Annie and Moses, sending me good cheering vibes. I was passing people and any pain I was feeling was masked by rushing adrenaline. Could I run this hard for the last 4 Miles? No, but 2 miles, yeah I got this.

Mile 24: 7:30

Mile 25 was breached and I had 7 minutes to go! I kicked it up again, lungs burning. As I turned onto 59th Street it looked like an infinite distance to Columbus Circle. I was timing the distance between the Avenues, trying to make the numbers work.

Up ahead I passed a gal who yelled, “Hey! Baker!” As I turned I saw Elizabeth from the Foot Locker Challenge! Unable to speak, I simply waved 3 fingers in the air and pointed forward, knowing that she, a seasoned runner understood. We could chat later.

Mile 25 – 7:01
Mile 26 – 6:29

Passing Mile 26 the clock said 2:59:19. I had 41 seconds to run 400 meters, seemingly impossible and still I pushed it. (We always underestimate that 0.2 of the 26.2, it’s pretty far!) I passed many people, but time seemed to speed up as my running slowed down. I cleared the Finish with 3:00:48 on the clock! I felt great (aside from my quads being literally on fire) and was very happy with my time.

Sex/
Age		 Bib Overall Place Age
Place		 Finish
Time		 Pace/
Mile		 AG %
M33 2332 1202 241 3:00:48 6:55 70.1%

I had given it all I got that day and that was good enough for me. It was a 2 minute course PR.

In the finish chute I met up with Rowland who achieved his 2:59 goal. We walked and chatted about our races before splitting off. I jumped in the 86th Street crosstown and headed back to my neighborhood. The rest of the afternoon was spent with friends celebrating the run. That night Abbe cooked me a celebration meal and I was in bed by 8! I was pretty exhausted this time around (compared to previous marathons) and I think it had to do with my lack of sleep the night before.

Thanks to anyone I might not have mentioned that was out there cheering me on. It’s so great seeing all my friends out there supporting one of the greatest marathons! Thanks to Coach Sonja too for helping me through all this and getting me more fit! Now it’s time for Ironman!

I’m going to Boston!

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After 3 years of hard work and 5 Marathons I have finally gotten into the Boston Marathon!

In November of 2008 I ran my first race (NYCM) after starting to run that summer. I missed Boston by 5 minutes, my qualifying time being 3:10. In 2010 I set out to attain a Boston entry and finally got my times up to par after a few near missed that really got me down.

It’s amazing what a little hard work, pain and dedication can do.

November 2008 =     3:15:51
2009 =                         Where’s the Marathons?
January 2010 =          3:13:13
May 2010 =                 3:15:27
November 2010 =      3:01:59
January 2011 =           2:58:16

“All of us are beyond defeat, we just need to rise to the occasion.“   

RACE REPORT: 065 9-11 Heroes Run 5K: 18:11 – 2nd Place

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I love me a good 5k…
Who doesn’t? It’s a race where you get to run as fast as you can, pedal to the metal, for 3 quick miles!

Erica Sara convinced me to run in the 911 Heroes Run on the morning of the anniversary of the attacks. It seemed like a worthy way to pay tribute.

RACE DAY

Saturday morning was spent riding my Tri Bike 60 miles, so my legs were a lil tight Sunday morning. I actually didn’t even feel like running.

Abbe and I met Erica on 1st Avenue and we caught a cab over to Randall’s (who’s Randall anyway?) Island. We got to Icahn Stadium like an hour and change before the race start. Just then 2 choppers flew overhead heading downtown and I said, “Hey, look its the President.” A few minutes later announcers confirmed that yes, it was our Commander in Chief flying overhead. Cool!


For such a small race as far as numbers go, this was heavily sponsored. Chevrolet was there and they had like 5 cars on display. I actually thought we might be able to win a car and embarrassed myself by asking the Chevy guys.

After getting my bib we found the course map.

Soon after runners were instructed to line up at the Start while the opening ceremonies took place. These were some of the most touching and inspirational speeches I have ever heard before a race. We were reminded by Ryan Manion (of the Travis Manion Foundation) that there were thousands of others running the Heroes Run simultaneously! The singing of the Star Spangled Banner was one of the best I have ever heard at a race before as well.

As the gun went off I hugged the inside of the track and bolted. I thought of how Jesse Owens qualified for the Berlin Olympics and of Usain Bolt breaking the 100m record  on this very track we were on.

Exiting the Stadium we went out into the parking lot and onto some pedestrian paths. It wasn’t long before I could hear footfalls behind me and was consequently passed, moving into second place. If I was running 5:50’s he was clocking 5:30’s, and I knew chasing him down would be near impossible.

I kept my pace, and held him in my sights, moving toward the turn around point. I was really starting to slow and fade and tried to keep it together. As I came around I saw the guy chasing me was only 20-30 seconds back and knew if I faltered he would surely overtake me. I swung my arms, moved my feet and constantly inspected and adjusted my form. I also kept thinking how cool it would be to win a Chevy (were they actually giving away cars as prizes). I mean, they had 4 cars, so 2nd place would surely get a car right?

The last mile was on a gravel path which certainly didn’t help my pace. As I turned back into the Stadium I had a 100m straightaway to the finish which I DID NOT sprint. I was so spent, that Finish line never looked so good.

Time: 18:11 with a 5:52 pace and 2nd Place overall.

Abbe and Erica were there cheering me on at the finish! After I gave Abbe a sweaty kiss, Erica (who told me that if I didn’t win the race she wouldn’t be my friend anymore) assured me that 2nd Place was cool enough to still be friends. Whew!

This is me, spent.

Erica’s friends Grace (CPTC) came blasting in to take 1st Female, followed by Glenn who took 3rd in his age group, followed by Dani who also took her age group! What a day!


After I returned home Coach S. had me go back out for another 8-12 miles to do HR intervals! Whoa that was grueling. Thank god I ate a bagel after the 5K.

RACE REPORT: 064 Fire Island 5K: 17:52 – 2nd Place Overall

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When it rains, it pours. I mean that literally, not figuratively.

Abbe and I left work on Friday and hit the Lurr (as I like to call it), or Long Island Railroad enroute to Bay Shore for the Fire Island Ferry. The train was so preppy I couldn’t stand it. It was like an Ad for Vineyard and Vines (which I hate). I soon found out that this was also the train out to the Hamptons, hence the preppy dress.

Bunny ears!

 

After hopping off the ferry you are immediately met with peace and serenity (especially if you are from NYC) because there are no cars allowed on the island. Its just crazy cruiser bikes and walkers. ‘Margaritaville’ if you will.

We were guests of ‘Dad Posse’ Ed and his wife Annelise. This was my 3rd year going and I was very excited, it’s always a fun time. Abbe and I stopped into their house (which is next to the Fire Island Hotel where we sleep). Cocktails started flying. In attendance was the entire ‘Dad Posse’ plus families! Role Call: Ed and Annelise plus Jack, Isabelle, and ‘The Karate Kid’ or Ben; Jim and Lisa plus Josephine and Elizabeth; Mike and Kara plus Kelly and Kevin and last but not least the pups Louis and Daisy!

After a fun barbecue we were in bed by 11.

We woke up at 5:30AM since Abbe had 17 Miles queued up for her training. While she did that I went with Ed and Mike to watch Kelly, Jack and Ben play a pick-up game of baseball. It was pretty exciting, the three kids are really good and knocked in a few runs!

One of the highlights for me was the planned open water swim we normally do. Ed, Jim, Mike and I all being triathletes love this kind of stuff because you cant get this kind of training in a pool. We decided on the 1 Mile course over the half.

We set off, it was a beautiful sunny day by the way, and I focused on my form. It’s so cool swimming open water with just 3 other people because it’s very challenging trying to keep track of where we all are. On the return I noticed my hands ripping through an invisible force field or something. I later found out they were jellyfish.

The rest of the day was spent at the beach and then later, we had a Luau for Elizabeth and Isabelle who were celebrating birthdays. Hawaiian shirts, leis and coconut drink cups… it was awesome! We had tons of great food, all kind of tropical in one way or another.

Pre-race rituals…

With the anticipation of rain (and Ed being quoted as saying “No way is it going to rain.”) we all went to bed just before midnight.

RACE DAY
Sleeping in until 8AM is a treat, especially on a race day in which gun time is 10:30AM and you’re sleeping at the Start. I took a look outside and it was steadily raining. This pleased me as the last 2 years its been 90 degrees and sunny, not ideal sprinting conditions.

We made our way to Ed’s place and fueled up on coffee and bagels, taking our time since we had 2 hours to the start. Ed, Jim, Mike, Annelise, Jack and I were the ones running, everyone else would be cheering (or in the youngsters case watching movies).

As we sat their joking about how many puddles there would be the steady rain turned into a downpour. It would go on like this all day… steady rain to downpour and back.

Jim and I did a warm up run about 15 minutes before the taking our place up at the start. The rain had calmed a bit but we could see huge lake-like puddles down the course and the organizers Anthony and John DiGangi (friends of mine) we warning us to be careful. In mind I told myself I was going to have some fun and just barrel through the puddles rather than trying to run around them. Steeplechase baby!

The gun went off and we lunged forward. The first ⅛ of a mile is a straightaway and 4-5 of us took the lead. I didn’t yet feel good, but have learned a lot about myself the last few months and knew that I need a mile or two at race pace before my engine turns over.

The puddles were insane. Most of them were across the entire path, 12-20 feet long and 3-6 inches deep. It definitely slowed us down when we hit them, especially since we were all kind of looking for holes where would snap our ankle if hit wrong. I have to admit, the first few puddles I was laughing out loud yelling, “This is so awesome!”

By now, the leader Josh (a Front Runner who I befriended after the race) was slowly pulling away from us. I was now in a pack of 3 with Alex and Davis and we were all running pretty steady, hitting Mile 1 at 5:32. It had also started to rain heavy again, but the positive thing was that we were all cooled down perfectly!

At Mile 1.5 a woman yelled “You’re almost there!” and I replied, “No. We are not.” Davis laughed and we both chatted about how we hate it when uneducated spectators yell things like that. Like at Mile 18 in a Marathon, “Looking good! Almost there!” C’mon! Really!?

As Mile 2 approached I was feeling pretty fired up. I saw Josh in the distance but knew I could never catch him with a mile to go. Still, I pushed forward. At Mile 2.5 there was a woman spectator smoking a cigarette. Once again, really?!

Coming down the home stretch I knew Alex wasn’t far behind me and I had to keep up my speed. As we rounded the turn to the 50 meter straightaway finish I punched it just to be sure, coming in 2nd Place overall.

Sex/
Age		 Bib Overall Place Age
Place		 Finish
Time		 Pace/
Mile		 AG %
M33 3 2 1 17:52 5:45 72.6%

As I crossed I high-fived Anthony and John who were flanking the Finish line, then found Abbe and gave her a kiss.

As I was getting water Josh, Alex, Davis and I were all congratulating each other and laughing at the conditions. It was one of the most memorable display of sportsmanship I have seen in a long time.

Back at the finish with Abbe it was completely down-pouring. We watched Jim, Mike, Ed, Jack and Annelise come through before we all decided to take cover as we were shivering. After the awards ceremony a bunch of us headed down to the after party at Schooners Bar. Did it stop raining? No. The DiGangi’s raised over $40,000 for the ABTA!

It was a fantastic race weekend that was capped off with Abbe taking me out to a healthy celebratory dinner back in ol’ Manhattan.

Reporting LIVE from the Queens Half Mary!

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I chose to not race this year’s Queens Half Marathon based on my experience last year. Basically, it was hot as hell.

This race happened to fit perfectly into Abbe’s Chicago Marathon training plan so she signed up. (I did warn her of the heat though…)

The night before we went out for her to carbo-load. I carbo-loaded cause that’s just what I do. Especially since Coach Sonja has me training 24/7 these days. It’s a really strange feeling knowing you will be going to a race, but not running it. It’s very… how should I put it… ‘peaceful.’ I was stress free and could go to bed at any time!

RACE DAY!

The next morning I woke up like 45 minutes after Abbe, cause I could! There were no D-tags. No pinning a bib onto my shirt or making sure I had a hearty breakfast. It was amazing!

We took a cab out there since the 7 Train wasn’t running and I got her to the corrals right on time. After saying goodbye and wishing her luck (I was also supposed to pace her in the last 3 miles) I set off and changed into my spectator clothes.

In my mind I smiled and said, “This is Chris Baker reporting LIVE at the Queens Half! Say tuned people!” I sought out the best place to watch the start and found my perch right in front of the giant globe fountain thing-a-ma-bob. The runners would be coming right at me before veering ti the right and there was no way Abbe would miss seeing my cheers.



After a slight delay the runners were off! I saw Susan who would go on to have a spectacular race but somehow didn’t see Abbe in the sea of heads.

After all the runners passed it got kinda quiet and weird. I was like ‘Whoa, this is spooky.”

I looked at the map and made my way over to Mile 10 which was like a 15 minute walk. Actually, while I was walking I thought to myself, “You know, if I just ran to Mile 10 it would be so much faster then walking.” But seeing as how it wasn’t a race day I decided to stroll. I also wasn’t expecting Abbe over there until 9AM and it was 7:45.

Out in no man’s land I was like the only human around. I made a call to my Mom and basically enjoyed the quiet morning.

I got very excited when the leaders started coming through! I had no idea what to say though because I know sometimes when I’m on Mile 10 of a Half Mary and people are yelling dumb stuff at me like “Lookin good!” or “Almost there!” I’m like shut up people! I look like crap, am probably sunburned and 3 miles is a long ways to go! Instead, I took pics and tweeted a lot.

I had no idea there would be so many of my friends running! Lets do a quick cast in order of appearance. Kevin! Lam! Susan! Michael! Dana and Bardy! Dori! and of course Abbe! There may have been more but I took off pacing Abbe. I was pretty excited to get moving but quickly realized that it was very hot out. I missed my cute shady spot at Mile 10.


Look! I’m running!

I felt very rebellious running in the race. I didn’t even get any water at the aid stations because I thought someone would go, “Hey man! Where’s your bib! Security!”

After pacing Abbe 2 Miles she told me she had the last Mile on her own so I dipped off to the right. I still kept her in eye shot in case she needed anything.

While waiting for her at the finish I saw this local woman peddling a cart around with some goodies on it. I was hungry. I approached her and was like, “Oh my god is that fresh mango slices!” “Si.” A whole bag of like 12 slices for 2 bucks! I then realized I must turn my attention back to the finish so as to not miss Abbe.

There she was, looking great and finishing with a PR! Congrats Abbe!

I had a real fun time reporting the race and being a spectator but deep down, I wanted to RUN!

RACE REPORT: 063 Run for Central Park 4M: 23:39

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The Central Park Conservancy Run for Central Park is a 4 Mile race that supports and raises money Central Park. Seeing as how Central Park is my backyard I felt like I had to run it.

The Friday night before the race Abbe, Jackie and I went to see Harry Potter. I’m not a die hard fan, but it was still pretty awesome. Jackie and Abbe made this mint, goat cheese pasta before hand which was so amazing! With that and the salty popcorn I would consume in the theater I would be sufficiently carbo-loaded for the next day’s race.

RACE DAY

Up at 6AM, fueled with some Bustelo and out the door by 7:30 to jog over to the start. I stopped and grabbed a banana to eat on the way.

My goal for this race was to PR since last Saturdays 10K was very far from that. My 4 Mile PR is 23:28 and I was really gunning to break 23 flat. That would be a tall order considering I would have to run at a 5:45 pace the whole time.

Hitting my corral and waiting for the start I noticed a ton of team shirts. Of course! It was points race for the local teams so all the speedsters were out in force. This would be good for me since I could run on the tails of these folks. Another thing of note, the temperature in the sun. It was HOT.

As the gun went off I hung to the right and sped forward. I heard “Go Baker!” and I looked over to see Kelly and Ali were sidelined cheering us on! Thanks!

We were all cooking pretty fast and Cat Hill came up like a heart attack. Not wanting to blow up and also knowing I had to keep my pace up I found a nice middle ground and attacked. It hurt.

At the top and as the course leveled out I thought “The hardest part is over.” True? Maybe. I mean, we didn’t have to run Harlem Hill so… Did I mention yet how I love this course?

We hit Mile 1 at 5:45. Right on target but deep down in my head I knew it would take a lot to hold this pace. My chest was burning, I pushed forward. Mile 2 arrived at 11:30, right on target. I grabbed some water and celebrated by dumping it on my head which I thought was on fire.

I chose to wear my Garmin for this race and I could see that between Mile 2 and 3 I was slowing ever so slightly to a 5:50 pace. I kept smiling, kept moving my legs and adjusted my breathing so I didn’t explode. I had forgotten about the West Side Rollers, a series of hills that one might not assume daunting. Daunting they are when blasting through the tail end of a 4 Mile race.

Trying to hold it together for the last mile was tough in that heat. I saw Lam and cheered him on. It’s always nice to see fellow runners in the race, even if conversation is limited! I also saw Erica Sara yelling and taking pics, cheering me along.

Thanks to my friend Mary for snapping this shot of the finish!

Cruising into the finish I was so happy to be done and to get my hands on some freaking water! After a quick high five to Lam I grabbed two cups, one for my mouth and one for my head.

My time was 23:40, 12 seconds off from a PR but still a solid race in my mind.

Sex/
Age		 Bib Overall Place Age
Place		 Finish
Time		 Pace/
Mile		 AG %
M33 137 181 41 23:40 5:55 72.03%

After the finish I met up with Erica Sara a couple yards in front of the finish to cheer on the rest of the runners. A few minutes later Abbe met us (she was starting a long run).

RECOVERY RIDE

Per the Doctor’s (Coach S) orders, I went out Sunday morning for a long bike ride up to Nyack again. 4 ½ hours and 67 miles later I returned home to go watch the Women’s World Cup with my brother, Ali and Abbe. It was a great weekend.

RACE REPORT: 062 Boomer’s CF Run to Breathe 10K: 39:02

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The week back from a long vacation is never fun, but I was very excited to have a race at the end of it. The Boomer’s Cystic Fibrosis Run to Breathe 10K was a new race put on by the football legend himself.

The Friday before the race I did some easy spinning to loosen my legs, then went to Abbe’s for dinner. Amanda and Stefan came over and Abbe made us some amazing pasta dish to carb-o-load on!

RACE DAY

Up at 5:30AM! What? Yea that’s early but stupid Irish steel cut oats take forever to make and I am beyond Quaker Oats. Sorry Wilford.

Abbe and I did a warm up run up to Central Park arriving to our respective corrals right on time. I get really stressed (quiet, pensive) before a race until I am in my corral ready to be let loose. Surprisingly there were not that many runners up in Blue. I had front row seats to watch Boomer give his lil speech! I was highly disappointed that Peter Chacha was not there to give race instructions as it’s always a good time (I learned this from Matt6) to yell “ChaCha!” as he takes the mic.

The gun sounded and we were off. First up was the notorious Cat Hill. I ascended it easily and kept my heart rate low, trying to build a nice pace. What I realized as I hit Mile 1 in 6:15 was that I was running to conservatively. My PR in a 10K ha me running 5:58s all day, I would need to make up some time in order to PR, but could I?


I was running steady with a group of runners that I decided were holding me back. Increasing the pain threshold I moved past them and started picking off people.

Harlem Hill arrived like a heart attack. It burned pretty bad and this time I didn’t pace myself, blasting up it. As far as strategy goes, I think I’m a fairly decent hill runner so I try and put some distance on people on the uphills.

One thing I took note of on this race, is that due to the fact that all my systems were in check and working great (legs, arms, food, heart, mind) that I was having a blast! I try to tell myself on occasion when racing “This is what you love doing, do not be so concerned with time, enjoy yourself.” I didn’t even wear my Garmin so I had no idea what pace I was hitting and you guys know me and my math skills, those Mile clocks are baffling!


At Mile 5 I saw my time and to PR I would need to run the last mile in 5 minutes or so. A tall order. I decided to try. I gunned it, and then I started thinking of my Dad and how although he never got to witness me race in person, he was probably watching at this moment. I was passing people and putting the pressure on my legs and lungs. It was really hot out by now and the sun was on top of us.

Cruising up 72nd Street I saw the finish and also saw a few guys flanking me, attempting to pass. I threw it into overdrive and blasted forward giving it all. I have no idea what my time was for that last mile, but I do now it was the fastest of the race.

This was my ‘Peter Pan’ landing…

My time was 39:02 which is easily 2 minutes shy of a PR for me, but still, it was so fun!

Sex/
Age		 Bib Overall Place Age
Place		 Finish
Time		 Pace/
Mile		 AG %
M33 136 44 10 39:02 6:18 69.6%

After a pear and some water, I marched over to the finish line and cheered on the rest of the runners waiting for Abbe and Erica Sara to finish. They came through, Erica Sara first then Abbe like 10 seconds behind her, both looking very strong!

We had some coffee and then took off to hit the showers.

POST RACE

For lunch Abbe took me out to ABC Kitchen in Union Square. It was amazing!

Then, we went to Brooklyn (I know, wow! so far!) to my friend Dimotta’s birthday party at Berry Park. I saw Dimots, Mirko, Lauren and Molly among others who I had not seen in some time. It was great catching up.

Next up, I took Abbe out to Dinner at Robataya in the East Vil. It’s a fairly new restaurant owned by the same guy who owns Sakagura, my all-time favorite restaurant! We had a plethora of Japanese food, all prepared with such detail. It was amazing. Abbe said to me that night “This should be great fuel for our workouts tomorrow!” We would come to find out that Japanese food is exactly the wrong food for pre-workout dinners.

SUNDAY RECOVERY RIDE (not!)

As I woke Sunday Coach S had me queued up for a 4 hour ride to Nyack. Fun? Of course. Always. I would sleep on my bike if I could.

It was a hot, but beautiful day and I set out on my Tri bike ‘Andraste‘ with a smile. I hit a number of hiccups along the way which really discouraged me and as I saw my mood change I realized I was cranky because I was exhausted.

The South path of the GW was closed so we bikers had to use the North, more ‘walker friendly’ side. I think I carried my bike up and down 7 or 8 sets of staircases.

Once I was in dirty Jersey I got cooking. Then, another problem… there was a roadblock on the Palisades and a No Bikers sign! What? Not wanting to end my ride I ept going straight toward Englewood New Jersey where I discovered the biggest hill I had ever seen in the area. It was a set of 4 or 5 consecutive bomb drop hills! I was flying, tucked in, maxed out on my gears. Then, to the left I saw some bikers walking their bikes UP the hill and I got to thinking, “Oh man, I have to go back up this monster!”

That’s exactly what I did. Nice and slow with an easy heart rate I ascended all the hills returning to the bridge. Then I remembered you can go under the brige to the Park portion which is just as fun. That’s what I did.

I forgot how pretty it is over on the cliffs overlooking he city (where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueled many years ago).


45 miles and 3 hours later I returned home, ready for a shower, lunch and to put my feet in some cozy sneakers.


It was an awesome weekend of races, workouts, adventures and food!

First annual ‘Run for Bruce’

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Following the death of my father a few weeks ago, I have been overwhelmed with the amount of love that has come my way. It’s really quite amazing. One gesture, made by Samantha with the help of Abbe, was to have a run in honor of my Dad. It was in this way that ‘Run for Bruce’ was born.

—
The night before the run Abbe, Samantha and I went to Sweet Revenge to indulge a little bit. They serve wine and cupcake pairings. I know what you’re thinking, ‘Awesome!’


It was a great way to end the week and I recommend it to any lover of sweets.

Saturday was beautiful. I set off at 10:30AM to run a quick 3 miles before the Run for Bruce which would add another 5.5 miles to the equation. Arriving at Columbus Circle (our starting point) I was greeted with numerous friends and family, 35 in all!

SIDENOTE: My step mom Christine and step bro Patrick were also running, but in Virginia.

We set off along 59th Street, making a bee line for the West Side Greenway. My brother Jeff and Joey D took off, leading the way.


Unfortunately, starting a run at 11AM in the middle of June means HEAT! We were all sweating like crazy and stopping at water fountains where ever they were available.

I was bouncing around talking to everyone as I ran, it was really great. Eventually, I set into pace with my cousin Cat and friend Anna. We were trucking pretty good for the last 2 miles for sure.


The run ended at PJ Clarkes in Battery Park for lunch and beers. Jeff ended up being first with Joey D right behind. Slowly all the runners trickled in. PJ’s gave us a whole section so our loud-stinky-runner-ness didn’t disturb the normal people.

We all ate, drank and were very merry  from 12-3PM.

SIDENOTE: Claire left and ran another 4 miles! Go Runner Army!

To be straight-up and honest, it was awesome. The amount of people who showed up, and the fun we had running in memory of my Dad was really fantastic. Thanks to all my friends and family who came out for the run, it really meant a lot.

“All you need is love.”

I leave you with Alice, my friends Anna and Danny’s adorable little girl. She says she is going to run it next year.