Allison – BEYOND DEFEAT

RACE REPORT: 024 Knickerbocker 60K: 5:01:01

Posted on November 21, 2009 by admin

Posted in All, Race Reports, Running 6 Comments

Sex/ Age	Bib	Overall Place	Gender Place	Age Place	Net Time	Finish Time	Pace/ Mile
M31	14	12	12		5:01:01	5:01:01	8:05

The Knickerbocker 60K is a mild Ultramarathon (I say that because hard core Ultra Runners only consider a 50 miler and up Ultras) consisting of 9 laps around Central Park totaling 37.2 miles.

I had been signed up to run this race for a few months, and during a conversation with Ed from the “Dad Posse” he asked me why I would want to run such a crazy race? After a day or two of introspection it came to me… Fear. Fear was the reason I was running this thing. I was afraid of this race from the get go and wanted to take it on head first.

I was a little nervous as I had only run a distance no greater than 17 miles in the last 4 months, which some would say is poor preparation. Whatever.

2 weeks prior I was actually stressed about it. The week of, not the case. I was actually more excited just to run because I had taken the week off from physical activity, which to any of you who know me personally is like torture.

The night before the race I spent ‘preparing for battle’ as I like to say. I made 3 Powerade Redbull 50-50 mixed drinks for the run. I also made 7 mini burritos made from rice and beans. Why? My hero runner, Scott Jurek, is a naturalist and isnt into Gels and Goos. Quite frankly, neither am I , they are gross. Take yourself back to the 70’s and 80’s when these things didnt exist, what did runners do? Eat burritos? Maybe not, but that is what I had in store for my “Brunch” tomorrow.

Once my bag was packed I made my staple pre-run meal. Pasta with fresh shrimp. Its the perfect meal and Im never hungry when I wake up. I ate this and watched the 2006 Ironman Championships which is a great way to get inspired. Try it. Oh, and try and not shed some tears too, impossible!

I was in bed by 10:30, 11 o’clock and had dreams about the race. I woke up every two hours.

RACE DAY

Woke up at 6AM, had some Bustelo and was out the door by 6:30.

Elizabeth (or Ms Ritz) had been generous enough to offer up holding my bag-o-goodies prior to the race! So nice, thanks Eliz! So after dropping my stuff with her I went over to the Road Runners and geared up. I made a few friends at the start. One of these gals, Jessica, happens to be running the Disney Marathon in January too! Small World! It was cool hanging with someone prior to a race of this magnitude.

Speaking of which, compared to other RR races in New York, this almost seemed like a rogue operation! In comparison, other races have close to 5,000 racers, this had 185!

Mike and Ed popped over to say hi before the start. Ed would be riding his bike around the track and Mike would be running.

After a quick speech by the race coordinator we were off.

I was running without my music on as it was a beautiful morning. Not sure how my pace was but I was in the top ten runners and we were chatting and being silly about the whole 9 laps thing. Its rare in a race that you get this kind of humanity, all of the competitive edge being gone. You’re really testing yourself, not others.

Laps 1 and 2 went by pretty quick and I was right on target with my 1- 1:10 hours per 2 laps time frame. My only morning fuel was a Clif Bar and two bananas, but I wasn’t hungry. Weird. .

At the end of Lap 2 I was pacing a guy I had caught up to. His name was Sebastian and we became friends. We chatted about our runs etc. He was faster than me for sure, but we stayed together until Lap 4 when I had to take a bathroom break.

It was after this that I turned on my headphones and started to get into my zone if you will.

People often ask what I listen to when I run? I listen to Drum n Bass mixes, this one happened to be a very aggressive DJ Hype mix.

Something to take note of…
We were running against the flow of normal running traffic, so we would pass the same people numerous times and they started routing for us! It was so helpful and fun! I saw Ed, Mike, Jim and Patrick (of the “dad Posse”) numerous times, giving me high fives as we passed. Sebastian at one point asked who I was and how I knew so many people, hilarious.

At Lap 5 I removed my white zip-up top and just had my red dry fit on with my track pants. It was getting warmer and I needed to lose some weight. I had made more friends with all the volunteers around the course because you pass them so many times. They were teasing me about changing my outfit calling me the stripper runner!

Lap 6 is when I started to get hungry. I pulled over to where Elizabeth was stationed with my gear and grabbed a burrito. Some of my volunteer pals were astonished at the fact that I was actually eating a rice and bean burrito. “Dude, are you seriously eating a burrito?!” I offered them one on the return loop but they werent hungry. This kind of banter back and forth only solidifying what an insane race this was. As I returned the next lap the gals asked if I was having a margarita (my powerade mix) to wash down my burrito.

Im not going to lie and try and act all macho about this run, at this point my legs were basically on fire. Trying to ignore the sensation, specifically in my quads, was very hard to do. I was using every water station as a chance to have a 15 second walk and drink break which helped and also gave me something to look forward too.

My next lap around I took off my track pants and red top, revealing my staple beater-running shorts combo. This felt great and I could really fly without the pants.

It was at this point I noticed all my friends gathered at the finish! Role call: Todd, Ila, Jeff, Ali, Jon Boy, Danny, Anna, Phyllis, John, Robin, Ahern, Becky, Cottom, Benny!
I yelled as I went by that this was my last lap, Lap 8! Boy was I mistaken.

I cruised around the 3.9 Mile loop ecstatic that this would be my final lap and telling all my volunteer buddies the same, I felt pretty good. It was 55 degrees and sunny in an amazingly colored Autumn Central Park. It was spectacular and I kept telling myself ‘what a day to be alive.’

200 Yards to the finish I saw my brother and his GF Ali yelling to me that I still had a lap to go! What? As I cruised up the race guy said I did indeed have one more. He showed me the race log and it said I had completed 8 laps? No, he said, its a 9 Lap course! WOW. Buzzkill.

I smiled at him and said “Okay, one more lap it is.” and I took off!

It felt like I might have ran that 9th Lap the fastest. What was really weird is that, even though my quads were burning, I was still feeling great, I even had a smile on my face. This is a trait I have picked up from another hero of mine, Natascha Badmann. She is a 7 time Ironman champion and always runs with a smile on her face. When asked why she does it, she simply states that running and racing is what makes her happy. I like that. Me too.

As I made my final turn towards the finish I did get a little choked up thinking about what I was going to complete. I told myself to save those emotions for later, when it would really set in. For now, bathe in the glory of the finish.

As I came down the home stretch I rocked a pretty good sprint into the finish as seen here (thanx benny)

Finish Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG77fgrfzms

I hit my target goal of 5 hours and actually came in 12th Place overall, earning a plaque! Cool man!

I have never felt more relieved to stop running, then after a 37.2 Mile fiasco. Oh, and I now know every inch of Central Park… every turn, tree, shadow, curb, trash can, sign… Im not running in it for like a month.

After the race a bunch of us went to Brother Jimmy’s which seems to be my staple race ending meal. We had some beers and loaded up on food. I had blackened catfish, mac and cheese and collared greens. At 3 we all left as I was in dire need of a shower and a nap.

I am now an Ultramarathoner!

Special thanks to all my friends who made it out to support me, it means a lot! Also special thanks to the volunteers and all the runners who saw me and cheered me on!

SIDESTORY: Sunday I was watching football at our local bar, Black Sheep, with my brother Jeff. This gal in a booth is staring at me and as I caught her glace she holds up her arms like “Well?” I was like “Um, hi?” Then she says, “Yea hi, Burrito Man! How did the race finish for you?” Wow what a small world, she was one of the spectators that joked about the margaritas!

RACE REPORT: 001 NYC Marathon: 03:15:51

Posted on November 4, 2008 by admin

Posted in All, Race Reports, Running 2 Comments

Sex/ Age	Bib	Place	Gen Place	Age Place	Net Time	13.1 mi	Minutes per Mile
M30	8029	2354	2147	850	3:15:51	1:29:02	7:28

November 2, 2008

I was never a runner. My thing was bike riding, at least, for the the last 9 years that is. I race a single speed, brake-less track bike, throughout Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs. I do not do this for exercise, I do this because it makes me happy.

In 2007, my coworker Heather ran in the NYC Marathon. I stood sideline on 1st Avenue and cheered her on. It was then, that the magnitude of running a marathon really set in. I had never really grasped the concept nor was I concerned with it, but here, someone I knew was pushing their boundaries to complete a great personal challenge. I liked it.

The following week at work we had a party for her to celebrate the accomplishment. During this party the President of our company asked ‘who would run it next year?’ as his glance came my way. Without hesitation I simply said ‘I’ll do it’ and that was that. This was November of 2007.

My first actual run (5 miles) was during Thanksgiving weekend at my Mom’s house in tampa. I had purchased the Nike + to sync with my iPod. This would help alleviate my assumption that running was boring – now I had data to play with. Throughout the rest of the winter I would continue to go on 3-6 mile runs.

March 8th was a pinnacle moment for me. I set out in the morning with the notion that I would run 6 miles down the West Side bike path. Once I reached Battery Park I felt great and was flying, it was here I made the decision to keep going. I rounded the island and exited on Houston street making my way up 2nd Avenue. Glancing at my iPod it said I was at 11 miles! My greatest distance yet! I wanted to push the envelope, and knowing still that I had to make it home to 29th street, I decided Id round out my number to 15 miles. Looping around Midtown and finally making my way home I was very excited at my accomplishment. Entering my apartment my legs were on fire and I was beginning to develop a crazy hunger. I was shaking and kind of a mess. I showered and then got and egg and cheese sandwich devouring it and looking for more. This moment is crucial to me as my body was going through a very weird evolution. It was in shock. I would later coin this concept as ‘Body Evolution’.

The following weekend I ran the same distance, this time with no aftershock.

A week after that I ran my first 20 miler. March 15th to be exact. I had another ‘Body Evolution’ moment after this new distance where I felt in shock and my internal organs were going haywire. After this run I would no longer experience this sort of feeling, as if my body was adjusted to the distance and ready. Hence the term ‘Body Evolution’… most people call it training, but I think its something different. More of a conditioning of the body.

I would continue to run 3-8 mile runs before work and a long 12-22 mile run one weekend morning until it got close to Marathon time. There were some weeks I would go without running, mainly because I was out on my bike due to the nice weather.

The Night Before.

Jeffs Birthday was Saturday so we were all supposed to have a big Italian meal at Cucina de Pesce then head to Bleeker Bar. He, unfortunately, was hit with food poisoning that morning so all bets were off.

Todd suggested we still go to Cucina being that I needed some serious fuel for tomorrows race. We sat at the bar and polished off some pasta (I had shrimp scampi, a personal favorite) and a bottle of Cabernet. We met up with Andy and shot over to Todd and Ila’s place which was where I was sleeping due its close proximity to the Staten Island Ferry. We had some more wine as it got to be midnight or so. It was now that Andy reminded us that I did indeed have to run a Marathon the following morning and we should get some shut eye. agreed.

The morning was perfect. Todd and Ila rigged up some Cafe Bustelo for me and I had a bagel. I was a little nervous, but after some pep talking from the Doyles I was good to go. Ila was taking my bag to the finish line for me. I left for the Ferry and was definitely in my head during the walk. A chilly quiet morning in the Battery…

On the Ferry and Bus to the main event I mostly did some people watching. Once at the fair grounds my game instinct kicked in and I set off to hit my checklist. Eat a banana, use the restroom, and get to the start post. Finding my corral was very difficult and I almost didnt make it into my corral which would have upset me because I get to start with the Professional and Elite Men aka all the tall thin people.

I was waiting in the first 2000 people to go and had this German running squad next to me which was very intimidating as their pelvises all came up to my head. My sunglasses, however, were much cooler than any of theirs.

A little Frank Sinatra ‘New York, New York’ and we were off! It is very moving and emotional. To this day the memory that sticks with me the most is the Verranzano Bridge. As we were crossing, the sun was just taking its position in the sky as I glanced left and saw Manhattan off in the distance some 20 miles away, and in my head said ‘that’s where I need to get to.’

The first half of the race is of course the best because the pain and emotional drain hasn’t yet set in. I will give Brooklyn props to having a great cheering section. The difference is that you can actually make out what people are saying to you and can occasionally high five a young kid on the sidelines. At Atlantic Avenue I saw Anna and Danny and soon after Billy, all cheering me forward. It really does give you a burst of energy seeing friends like that.

The first half of the Marathon was going seemingly well and I was running 6:30 miles… which some of my runner friends would say is not smart. In my defense, this was my first race and I didn’t know what the word ‘pacing’ meant yet.

HALFTIME.

As soon as we entered the Queensboro Bridge all hell broke loose… and I mean in my head, not in the streets. For the first time in 14 miles you have no one cheering you on and you are in a dark tunnel running in silence over the river. It was painful. I struggled to keep up with the people I had been tailing. Sure enough though as we came over the top and started making our way down onto 1st Avenue I got some hope back. I also laughed because a group of police talking to each other in the tunnel said “Hey, look at that crazy guy, he’s wearing pants…” its true…

and then it happened…

I turned the corner onto 1st Avenue and it felt like I was the center of attention at my own parade. People were screaming my name, 5 deep in the crowds! My spirits soared and I held my head up and kept going increasing my pace. My target was 87th Street where my brother Jeff and my crew were waiting for me to pass by. Seriously, the Avenue is mayhem. I would later find out that many of my friends (even an ex-girlfriend) saw me and yelled my name, but it was like roaring white noise. As I approached 87th Street I really needed a break. I pulled over and saw my brother and his girlfriend Allison. I high-fived them and said “see you in an hour!” and moved on.

That was at mile 18. Things were about to take a serious turn for the worse and of course… I was headed straight for the South Bronx.

At mile 19 I heard from the right side of 1st Avenue, “Hey Chris!!! GO!” It was my friend Shamin pointing in my direction. I wa
s now close to the bridge into the Bronx. Wow, what a different ball game it is up there. Once again we lacked a cheering squad. I was moving in slow motion now, fighting pain and hunger. Luckily Todd had given me a Powerbar-like thing that I kept taking bites out of in a ration-like manner every mile. I compared myself to Frodo and Sam with their bread that they saved and rationed. It really did help though.

Once I entered old Manhattan again I still had 4 solid miles to go. The Autumn Sun was casting deep shadows across the street and into my eyes. I felt like I was out of my body. People kept yelling for me to go on, but this time in a more passionate understanding manner, as if they knew the pain we were all in at mile 21. “Come on Baker, not far now…” in a quiet soothing voice. It really did help. I picked out a guy going my speed and trailed him. He and I worked back and forth keeping our pace up. I felt like I was running 10 minute miles when in reality I was running a 7 minute mile, which shows you my mental state.

As I rounded the corner on the last mile I saw my friend Billy again. I could barely say hi. Taking a right onto Central Park South the crowds were back in full force! As I ran, to my left a cute blond gal caught my eye… I turned in her direction and she saw me at the same time. With a devilish smile she looked up and yelled “Thats right Baker! go go go!!!” With a shit eating grin on my face I sped along making my way closer to the finish.

Amazingly enough, the last 300 yards were easy, but blurry in my mind, like a dream. Ila was sidelining it right at the finish and I didnt even notice! As soon as I crossed, my mind was on one thing, FOOD!

I had finished in 3:15:51 which to me was great as I though for sure I had lost 20 minutes the last few miles. No, it was just an illusion. They threw the Medal around my neck and I felt like a Million Bucks.

I walked through to 86th Street where Ila had my bag. I met her with a big hug and she told me all about the calls she got from Todd’s parents and our mutual friends. I was quoted as saying “I will never do that again”

We jumped on the bus to head to Aces and Eights where everyone was awaiting our arrival. It is now 12:30.

As we entered the crowded bar I immediately came across my friend Peate. He was like “Baker! You’re done already?!” and he high fived me. As we pressed through the crowd we came to the back where there were 2 full tables of my friends who yelled upon seeing me in one piece. Roll call… Jeff, Allison, Robin, Ahern, Benny, Tess, Morgan, Julia, Andy, Claire, Jon Boy, and many more. We had some Italian Subs I had requested from Robin. She asked me the day before, if I could have any food after the race what would it be? That came to mind and wow, what a treat it was. They were so good. We took down a few pitchers of beer and occasionally strangers would yell and salute me, it really felt amazing.

We decided at 3 to go to Brother Jimmy’s so my Philly friends could watch the game. Whatever… if they have food I’m in.
At Brother Jimmy’s (the 92nd Street location) we grabbed a huge table in the back and in the middle. Beers, cocktails… then, the wait staff came out cheering with a giant fishbowl of booze for me on the house! I felt like a college student again! As we sat and drank and ate more friends showed up like… Roll Call… Asher, Justine, Jenn, Jaimie, Chad. It was a grand old time. Ahern and I must have celebrated our Irish heritage with Jameson shots like 3 times. The amazing thing, I was maybe buzzed, but not even close to drunk. Someone explain! At 10 PM, that’s right 10, we decided to call it a night.

On my way home I was walking down the street and an older woman, quite well-to-do and done up stopped me. She was on her cell phone and told her friend to hold on… “Hi.” she said, “You ran in the Marathon today?” she asked. “Yes, I certainly did.” she nodded her head and held her hand out for me to shake it. “Congratulations to you, that is quite a feat, I hope you’re proud of yourself.” I said thank you and went on my way home almost breaking into tears… seriously, it was one of those days.