BED-STUY RESTORATION 10K AND INAUGURAL IMAGINE ACADEMY 5K

I love my "job" with the Prospect Park Track Club.  The Club has a program whereby members are encouraged to run with local races, i.e. those that are based in Brooklyn.  The program, Run Brooklyn, dictates that participants should run in six Brooklyn races that are professionally-timed then get a chance to win money prizes at the Club's annual award dinner.  "Brooklyn races" means the run course must start and end in Brooklyn, such that events like the Tunnel To Tower, which starts on the Brooklyn side of the Battery Park Tunnel but ends in the old World Trade Center site, does not count.  The "professionally-timed" condition eliminates fun runs like the Color Run series, whereby participants' time isn't recorded.

By way of suggestions, announcement of the Run Brooklyn program would list a handful of Brooklyn races, just the names.  I volunteered to maintain a spreadsheet containing the race names, dates, URL for registration purposes, and additional tidbits like whether the race coincides with a popular event.  After a few years of maintaining the spreadsheet, I also maintain a calendar that is embedded into the PPTC.org site.  The info in the spreadsheet and the calendar is mostly the same but the calendar has the advantage of also listing NYRR races, the big gorilla in the market, so that when events happen on the same day, participants can make an informed decision which race to register for.

I made such an informed decision today when I forwent the NYRR Staten Island Half and ran in the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration 10K.  Staten Island used to be a mysterious place that I drive through along I278 from the Verrazano Bridge to the Goethal Bridge, or some other bridge, but after spending a large amount time working there, along with running in a few races there as well, the novelty is not there any more for me.  I like to run in different locations and this year the Bed-Stuy 10K fits the bill.

The Bed-Stuy 10K had its staging area in Restoration Plaza, which is near the corner of Fulton Street and New York Avenue.  All under one big white tent on the Plaza were a stage, DJ stand, registration table, refreshment tables, and some vendor tables.  Refreshment included coffee, bananas, half-cut bagels, small apples, and orange juices, which I believe was all donated from the nearby Super Foodtown supermarket.  In a nearby building, runners were treated to indoor plumbing for their sanitary needs, as well as a bag check area.  Maybe I was not too aware of my surrounding but I found out about the bag check purely by accident.  I think there should be more signs to point out the restroom and bag-check service.

The first event this year was the Kiddie Run.  Some five little kids, two as young as four years of age, ran a few yards to the Finish Line on Herkimer Street behind the Restoration Plaza.  Next we had a workout session led by an instructor on the floor of the big tent and three leaders on the stage.  It was a good workout, plenty enough to loosen all your muscles for the upcoming race.

There was no music along the race course but if there was "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds should be played.  Look at the course map!  I was afraid that I would run the wrong way because there were so many turns.  At the start, I asked a few runners near me if they were familiar with the course but they either were running the untimed 5K or not know the course.  Luckily the corners were well-staffed, either by event personnel or by NYPD.  A safety cone with the proper directional arrow also helped in case you missed the instruction from the staff.  Something else I could use along the course was more water.  There was a station at Mile 2 and again at Mile 4, but by the time slowpoke me got to Mile 4 there was no more cups.  I think there was some water left in the water cooler, yes, the sort used in your typical cubicle office, but I didn't want to stop completely to drink from the faucet.  Luckily, it was rainy for most of the race and I cooled down enough to not need water that much.  I don't know the history of the race course so it might be that way all these years, with the many turns, so maybe not much can be done about it.  During the last two miles, I so looked forward to seeing the finish arch from a distance to get me going stronger.  It never came as the arch was just down the road after the final turn.

For every run turn turn turn / There is a reason turn turn turn

Bed-Stuy 10K, now in its 36th year, was well-organized despite all its turns.  A few weeks back I ran an inaugural race that had some teething pain.  From the elitefeats mailing list I discovered the inaugural Imagine Academy For Autism 5K in Marine Park, the actual park, not just the neighborhood.  The race course was just the outer loop of the park, which I ran many times already with NYRR Open Run, so the novelty attraction wasn't there for me.  Open Run covers 3 loops, for a total of about 2.5 miles, the Imagine 5K went for a little over 3.5 to reach about 5K.

The race was supposed to start at 10 AM but there was a speech or two and the race didn't really until 10:30.  It was a hot day so the extra half-hour made a little difference.  Although the course was just a few loops of the park, there was no water station anywhere.  After I did my 3.5 loops, the finish line was totally blocked by finishers.  People were just milling about in front of the finish mat, chatting, taking photos, snacking etc.  Perhaps because it was the first time for these people to participate in a race but the situation could be helped by having the refreshment table a few yards AFTER the finish line, not mere feet in front of it.  Lastly, there was no trash container anywhere to collect all the wrappers, fruit peels, etc.  Responsible runners had to go a few yards away to squeeze the trash into already-packed receptacles.  Hopefully next year these issues won't be present.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, U.S.A.!

Independence Day 2013 in the U.S. found me getting up at 4 A.M. to get to work, part-time, to support the NYCRuns Firecracker 5K/10K races on Roosevelt Island.  One problem, a First-World Problem really, is that that early in the morning my local Dunkin Donuts did not have donuts or bagels to offer.  I settled for a muffin, which I ended up not eating, and a croissant.  As I got back to my U-Haul in the parking lot, the new donuts and bagels arrived.  Oh well.  I suppose it's more efficient to have some big factory dole out the donuts etc and have the goods trucked to the various locations.  It sure doesn't jive with the old commercial about "time to make the donuts".

It was nice to have the road mostly to myself early in the morning.  I picked up a colleague near Grand Army Plaza and we made it to Roosevelt Island early.  Eventually the other vehicles in the NYCRuns caravan arrived and it was time to set things up - registration table, water tables, bag check area, etc.  I couldn't help wonder how people work in big places like the Barclay Center, constantly setting things up then break them apart for the various, different events.

Between the setup and doling out FrozFruit ice cream sticks, I managed to snap a few photos of the calm before the rush, of volunteers and the setup.  Plus one photo of some PPTC participants.

Volunteers of Water Station #1.

More volunteers at Water Station 1.

Bag check volunteers.

Packet pickup, race day registration etc.

Want the dirt on the race?  There's a big pile there.

Let's get the music going!

5K race was about to start soon!

PPTC reps Ed and Meghan.

NYCRUNS VERRAZANO FESTIVAL OF RACES

"Pay it forward" is the idea of doing someone a favor after someone else did one for you.  I like that concept a lot.  Some years ago at the NYCRuns Inaugural Brooklyn Marathon, I overdressed and after either the first or the second of the two small loops had my outer layer, a yellowish hoodie, removed.  A staff person saw that the piece of clothes was too big for me to carry for the rest of the race and offered to take it from me and I gladly accepted.  It helped a lot not to have the hoodie with me, else my bad finish time would be even worse.  Yesterday, I worked at NYCRuns' Verrazano Festival of Races and got the chance to pay it forward.  I served as a bike marshal and traveled up and down the waterfront beneath the Verrazano Bridge many times.  On a trip back to Owl's Head Pier, where the start and finish lines were, I saw that a runner was carrying a balled-up jacket in her right hand.  Earlier in the morning it was probably cold, especially with the wind blowing and runners just milling about waiting for the start.  But once they run, they heat up very quickly.  I offered to take the jacket back for the runner and she accepted.  I dropped it off with Bag Check and later on I saw that it was not there any more.  I hope it helped the runner not to have the extra item to carry for the rest of her 5K or 10K race.

As usually, I took a few photos of the race, mostly of the volunteers but there are some of runners.

Volunteers of the Food and Drink Table.

Volunteers at Bag Check.

Two of the Bike Marshals.

Volunteers at Water Station #1.

Volunteer and staff of Water Station #2.

For the entire, small album, visit

https://plus.google.com/photos/109153989599275468311/albums/5871630378743787345

What I really like about the Verrazano race is that it is in my neighborhood.  I did not have to take the subway and be at the mercy of the MTA weekend road repair schedule.  Instead, I got to the race on bike and brought along the $200 bike trailer that I used to ferry my son around for fun.  It was used to put out the mile markers later.  I should have used it, too, when collecting the markers from the 5K and 10K races once the Half-Marathon was underway.  By themselves the signs are light, but with 10 or 20 of them they became heavy and unwieldy.

When the race was over and everything taken down, there were four tall paper bags of  bagels leftover. I took them home in the bike trailer in hope of passing by some food pantry or soup kitchen in my neighborhood.  A quick Google search revealed none.  At home after a late lunch I did find a pantry not too far away, but I had to make sure they would accept the bagels.  I left a voicemail with the place and no one called me back.  So late in the day, there was little chance I would be able to donate the food for human consumption so I made a little piece of art out of them. 

Bagel Art

The good news is I recalled someone asking in Freecycling Network for bread and such for some chickens in her neighborhood.  I contacted her and it turned out she works not too far from where I live.  We met today and I was able to give her one bag of bagels, transferred into double plastic bags for safer carrying, as the paper bag that the bagels come in break easily if not carried properly.  I look forward to giving her the rest of the bagels over the next few days.  Hooray for freecycling!

NYCRUNS SPRING FLING 5K AND 10K 2013

Some spring we are having these days in New York City!  It's cold and windy, I actually put on a wool cap and wear gloves when outside.  Just a few days ago, on Saturday, it was really spring-like for the NYC Runs Spring Fling 5K and 10K on Roosevelt Island.

My duties for the event included shopping for fruits and creamy peanut butter the day before and picking up bagels and such at the crack of dawn on the day.  I once lived in Long Island City, Queens for over ten years and one time actually walked over that bridge connecting Queens to Roosevelt Island.  Back then there was no subway, you could only take the tram, paid for with the tram system's own unique coins, or drive/walk over said bridge.  Well, swim is probably possible if you are that good, though the toxins in the water may kill you years later.  I don't recall actually driving to Roosevelt Island but checked that off my bucket list this past weekend.  I always think of Roosevelt Island as Manhattan shrunken ten times.  Maybe more.  There is just one long Main Street running the length of the island, with some traffic circles here and there for the cars to turn around.  It sure is nice to have the footpath that goes around the island.

When I first started working for NYC Runs, it was winter and water consumption was not a major issue.  Runners did not drink as much.  Maybe it was because I didn't work with the water stations, or maybe because we also had hot chocolate all ready to be poured.  For the NYRR NYC Half, very few people took the ice-frozen water at Mile 11 water station, where I volunteered.  The race was almost done and it was too cold anyway.  With the Spring Fling it was very different.  Gatorade and water constantly ran low and I found myself helping with mixing more Gatorade then fetch more 6-bottle cases of water, then more Gatorade, more water, on and on.  It was a beautiful day to run, but it sure got hotter after 5K or 10K.  Just wait until summer rolls around!



There were a few PPTC runners in the race, like Tom and Kai here.

New PPTC member Glen and me, with the Queensborough Bridge in the backdrop.

That's one big apple, Randy.

Lots of bags in the bag check area.  The bags were sorted by the last digit of the bib number, the columns went from 1 through 9 then 0.

The Gatorade and water crew kept the runners hydrated.

The finish chute by the side of the Queens-side of the island.

Things got a little quiet as the 5K runners got to the start corral while 10K runners just arrived or waited for their turn.

For all 16 photos, see

https://plus.google.com/photos/109153989599275468311/albums/5862261789361079425

NYCRuns Riverside Park 5K and 10K 2013-03-16

Riverside Park was one of those places I heard much about but never got to explore.  It basically runs along the Hudson River and I twice tried to run the entire length of the park but were thwarted both times.  The first time I tried to run from Washington Height but couldn't find the connection to the waterfront portion.  The second time I entered at 72nd Street and didn't have enough time to go north and only discovered some short section that connect to the cruise ship terminal.  Today, with the NYCRuns Riverside Park 5K and 10K races, I finally got to know the park better, at least the portion between 96th Street and 116th Street.  Since I live near the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, I automatically compare Riverside Park to Shore Road Park.  You have the road high above the park, then the park itself, then the highway.  I totally missed the park when I last ran down from the Washington Bridge.  Today I was busy with moving the NYCRuns vehicles out of the park and other work to support the runners, so I will definitely need to re-visit the park on a leisurely schedule to better explore it, especially the section that runs between the Henry Hudson Highway and the Hudson River.  It's a start, one section at a time, I guess.

As usual, I took some photos of the runners and volunteers, when I had the chance.  If you were in the races, see if you were captured on film, sort of.  I did see someone taking photos with a Polaroid-like device today.  Very interesting.

5K racers were off to the search for their next P.R.

Volunteers at Water Station #1 ready for the throng of thirsty 10K finishers.

10K runners had their turn of running.

The 5K course was out and back, whereas the 10K course involved coming back to the start to make a tight U-turn and repeat the path the runners just covered.

10K first place winner Justin Wood.

Jennifer Busse won the women division of the 10K.

See the complete album at

https://plus.google.com/photos/109153989599275468311/albums/5856054940927646129?authkey=CN2rrJz1mqzAxAE

NYC RUNS HOT CHOCOLATE 5K/10K 2012

Much as I would love to give you details of my bike trip in Queens and Manhattan, i.e. the second part of the PERSONAL TRI-BORO BIKE TOUR, I need to pre-empt that writing to bring you the latest in my road-running adventure, the NYC Runs Hot Chocolate 5K/10K...

So we know the personal tri-boro bike tour was for me to go get my race packet, which consisted of a mug and the bib, as pictured below.  Much as I love T-shirts, I must admit that I do have quite a few already so having a mug as a race souvenir was a good thing.  It is also good that the time tag was attached to the back of the bib.  One fewer thing to worry about, i.e. unlike the D-tag, there is no need to attach the tag to the sneakers.  Of course, the down side is that on the subway ride over to the race, while waiting on the subway platform, without the D-tag sticking out from the laces on the sneakers, it is not easy to tell who your fellow runners are.

The subway ride to Roosevelt Island was uneventful, and that's a good thing.  Earlier in the weekend, I noticed a sign saying there would not be Coney Island bound service.  By Sunday morning, however, the token clerk wrote "Normal Service" on the whiteboard in the token booth.  Not that I dread a little longer walk from the N train station after a 10K, it was good to know.  Many years ago, Roosevelt Island was accessible only by tram or by foot/car via the bridge from Queens at 36th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard.  I did take a tram trip just for the fun of it and still have the tokens I saved as souvenir.  Nowadays the F train has a stop there, aptly named "Roosevelt Island".

The 10K race was scheduled for 10 AM but I wanted to be early to take photos of the 5K runners.  I also picked up race packet for a PPTC member.  I emailed her once I got out of the subway to tell her that I would wait for her in the subway station, away from the cold rain.  She called me back a short time later to ask me to meet her at registration area, near a mutual Facebook friend.  Mug and bib transferred to its owner, off I went to do some stretching and mingling in the crowd to greet PPTC friends and NYC Runs officials.

I took a few photos of the fast runners lining up for the 5K then walked down the corral looking for PPTC members.  Found one and took her photo and just as I was still at the end of the corral the race started.  I rushed back to the front and snapped a few, uh, blurry photos.  It must be the overcast sky and the lack of a working flash on my camera.  Next time I'll use my wife's still-flashy camera.

I had some time to kill before the 10K race started.  Walked around a bit and took photo for a different PPTC member as well as those of the runners milling about waiting for their turn.  I wanted to take a picture of the front-runners for the 10K race, too, but I didn't want to risk having my bib mistakenly picked up at the start mat.  I am perfectly fine with running from the back of the corral, but it would be bad if my time starts at the mat before I actually run across it.

Hurricane Sandy brought about some damages to Roosevelt Island so the course had to be changed.  I was a bit worried that I would get lost somewhere along the slightly different course, but good thing there were volunteers etc along the way to guide the runners.  I was with the bulk of the runners all the time too so I was able to follow the runners in front of me.  I typically run at least 8 km so the 10 km race should not be a big deal, but after a few Ks I did wish it would be over already.  I suppose running on the street I had many forced stops, at unfavorable traffic lights and such, perfect time to catch my breath.  In a race, the road is usually closed for us runners so there's no excuse to stop, unless the body cannot take it any more.  And my body sure could take it!  I ran continuously, through the light rain.  There was some dirt road in the northern part of the island and runners were advised to wear old shoes for the race.  Luckily, it didn't rain that heavily so we didn't have a muddy path to deal with.  I was a bit cold in the beginning but by 5K I felt I had too many layers on.  The course was advertised as flat, perfect scenario to get a personal record.  At the NYRR Queens 10K my time was 1:07.  When I was within earshot of the cheering from the finish line, I started to sprint to end the race.  I was hoping I would beat the few people in front of me but too bad they too stepped on the gas.  I still had a new PR for a 10K, 1:02:44, although I was told later by other PPTC members that had I ran through the finish mats, instead of pausing to stop the GPS watch, I could have shaved 5 more seconds from the finish time.  Oh well, next time, next time I will.

Souvenir mug and bib.  I even brought the mug to the race planning to use it, instead of a Styrofoam cup, so just in case there were other mugs I attached a piece of swimming pool wrist-band to the mug handle.  I got lazy and used a Styrofoam cup after the race though, sigh.

If you run 8 minute-mile or better, you get to be in the front.

Off them 5K runners went!

Race officials setting up the 10K start, which is a short distance from the 5K start.

10K runners already hanging out in the corral.

I normally have a fanny pack across my chest to hold house keys, cell phone etc, but for the Hot Chocolate Run, since I wanted to take some photos before the race and after bag-check, I had a separate fanny pack to hold the camera.

More photos can be found at

https://plus.google.com/photos/109153989599275468311/albums/5822721934907065953?authkey=CJ-Bwe7KyciiOQ