QDR QUEENS MARATHON 2017

I ran the second annual QDR (Queens Distance Runners) Queens Marathon two days ago.  As usual, that evening I had difficulty lifting the legs and going down stairs was painful.  But here I am, two days later, I can go about 99% normal.  I cannot recall if I "recovered" this quick the last time I ran a marathon.  Maybe my body improved somehow, but I find that hard to believe because I no longer run everyday like I used to.  The only logical conclusion is I didn't push myself hard enough.

The day started early, like 5 A.M.  Packet pickup started at 6:30 A.M. and I was there at that time.  Parking that early in the day was plentiful, mostly under the Van Wyck Expressway.  The shirt-pickup tent just got started, I wanted a Men XL shirt but they didn't have my size so I went back to the car and took a nap, thinking they would sort things out eventually.  They didn't, which is fine by me, I have too many shirts already, I just needed a layer to ward off the cold so I settled for a Women L.  I should have learned the Hollywood Sequel Way, i.e. if something works well just repeat the process.  Having disposable clothes at the NYRR NYC Half exactly a week earlier kept me warm during the long wait in the corral.  I made the mistake thinking Sunday would be just as warm as Saturday and came in shorts and a few thin layers of tech fabrics.  It was cold!  I lucked out and didn't have to deal with rain but IT WAS COLD!

The line for the porta-potty was long as usual.  Luckily, the race took place in a public park, the Flushing Meadows Park, and the public restroom by the subway station was already open, thanks go to some guy who informed the people waiting at the end of the long queue.  I ran there with some other guy and more showed up after us.  Inside the restroom it was so warm I thought about just staying there.

The great thing about races organized/produced by NYCRuns is runners don't have to wait a long time in the corral.  Yes, just one corral.  I simply waited in the back and it wasn't long before the whole thing started.  Here comes four loops of Flushing Meadows Park with many turns!

The race started near the pool, to the east of the Unisphere.  A few turns here and there and runners found themselves heading for the big lake.  A full loop of the lake, with a few spots with rainwater from the previous night blocking the road.  Back to the main part of the park and we made a left to enter the area near Terrace on the Park and Queens Zoo.  One more time back to park center, this time we made more turns here and there and sorta went around the Unisphere then passed by the ramp to the 7 train station.  More turns again and runners pass the back and side of the Aquatic Center, sorta parallel to the Van Wyck Expressway, then turn toward the Pool of Industry, make 300 (?) degrees around the Pool then back to the start.  Loop 1 done!  Of course you can see the course better on the NYCRuns, supposedly the Flushing Meadows Half-Marathon course is the same as this marathon.

With insufficient preparations I had anxiety about the race.  Sure I ran marathons before but I had more preparations then.  I am lucky enough to not have any permanent injuries, so far, and I prefer not to have any after this ill-prepared marathon.  At least for the first loop, what kept me going was the image below.  I came up with a new joke involving the age-old, "Is the glass half-empty or is it half-full?"  For the first time, I ran half-marathon and full-marathon one weekend after the other.  So I came up with the idea of putting both medals in a drinking glass and pose the question, "Is the glass half-marathon or is it full-marathon?"  My jokes are great.  The best.  Period.  (No, just kidding, I'm not that vain.)  Sure I could just use some marathon medal from a few years ago and the joke would still be good, but it's not Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday right?  It's Sunday!  So on I went for the first loop to earn a new, shiny marathon medal.

For the second loop, I decided to use the public restroom near the turn to Pool of Industry.  I think it's Mile 25 but now I don't know for sure now that the event is not listed on the web any more.  There were other restrooms along the way but I think this one was the closest to the course.  For the NYC Half I held out until the very end but it's unavoidable with a marathon.  Some runners aim to P.R. all the markers along a marathon route, me I just run to finish.  No need to hold it until after the second loop, as the restroom may not be that conveniently located along the race course.  As expected, I didn't P.R. with my half-marathon time, it was 2:35+ when I finally finished Loop #2.

Loops #3 and #4 somehow just passed by.  I am sure many runners do this - identify someone running at a pace near you and try to beat them.  For us back-of-the-pack runners, of course we won't win any top prizes but it's a way to keep going.  I found a few and managed to pass them and also stayed ahead, only to lose my "lead" after the restroom breaks.  Or the walk after each loop to wolf down a pack of Gu.  A friend mentioned some weeks back I may get seriously injured if I'm not careful, so I was careful and took one more walk break after Mile 23.  My "lead" totally evaporated then, as all my competitions sailed past me.  In the end, I managed to surpass a few of those people, after Mile 24.  My finish time of 5:42 or so was a personal worst, not counting the 6+ I spent for the NYC Marathons back in 1994 and 1995, without time chip I think the wait on the Verrazano Bridge was not excluded.  I wish I had my Garmin GPS to confirm the time and distance, as Strava app on my phone said I ran 28 miles.  Sure there were a few big puddles that required going to the side and there were so many turns they may add up, but I am not sure if all that extra distance would really make that big of a difference.

I love inaugural races, new things, but I'm also a non-repeating customer.  I actually registered for last year's Queens Marathon but had couldn't run it because high school spring break overlapped it.  I went on a sea cruise instead.  I'm glad I finally made the run, even with the dismal finish time.  Still, I rarely repeat the same marathon, and the many turns just ensure that I won't repeat the Queens Marathon.  Next year, I plan to run the Suffolk County Marathon, which should be its 4th year, I think, or the Rockapulco Marathon, x loops on the Rockaway Boardwalk.  I cannot afford to fly all over to run marathons so I plan to cover all the local ones instead.  Of course, hopefully I'll run those marathon with more preparation.

LONG ISLAND MARATHON 2015

While I would love to run a marathon in every U.S. state, I don't have the money for the plane tickets and hotel stays.  Luckily I live in New York City and there are a few marathons in the city and nearby.  Yesterday I was able to take the Long Island Marathon off my wish-list.

Back on the last day of the year 2014, before registration price go up, I signed up for the race, for $65.35.  It's relatively inexpensive compared to other big-name marathons.  The one hassle is that packet pickup had to be done on the Friday or Saturday before race day, out in Nassau County.  I have a car so it was not too bad, even though I did have trouble finding the place, Mitchel Athletic Field.  It was not listed in iOS Google Maps as such, I happened to find it by taking some guesses.  The place can be reached by LIRR but it probably would take some extra time.  I encountered two small issues at packet pickup.  Once you are past security check, on the right there were two separate lanes, one for Walk-In Registration, and the other, by process of elimination, Packet Pickup.  If you are not careful, you may miss the two lanes altogether and end up in the expo area.  I think it would be nice if there was a staff right at the entrance directing traffic.  Packets are sorted by bib numbers, which was sent out late in the week of the marathon, if you don't have it there are computers for you to use to look things up.  Again, I think it would be nicer if there was a staff by the machine to tell people what to do.  I was going to use the machine, just because I didn't know what they were for, but then I realized they were for looking up bib numbers, so I skipped the line and went to get my bib.

The expo was conveniently located right outside packet pickup.  I was tempted to sign up with the inaugural Suffolk Marathon to take advantage of the current price but I held back.  Let's finish the Long Island Marathon first.  I was good at not buying or even asking for free stuff as I strolled through the expo.  After a while there are just so many running accessories I can use.  I could have picked up some Gu gel or equivalent but a few days earlier I already got a box from the local Jack Rabbit Sports.  Almost by the exit of the expo area that runners get their bling bag.  While the bag content was nice, again no one was on the floor directing traffic.  I could have easily walked out of the expo without picking up my bag, which includes a medium towel, race shirt (black, not a good choice for the sun), lanyard, and some promotional literature.  I think bling bag's table should be immediately near the bib table.

On race day, I got to the parking lot near the Ice Rink of Eisenhower Park early.  The walk to the start area was a little over a mile.  I got there just in time to meet a few members from Prospect Park Track Club.  After a short wait, we went to our separate pace groups.  I had to step aside from the start line to have my Garmin GPS pick up satellite signal.  At least I remembered to charge it the night before and brought it with me.  At a previous race, I was so out of organized racing that I totally forgot about my Garmin.  For all its old technologies, my Garmin is still the best I have for recording time for a marathon.  No way the iPhone battery would last long enough.

For once, I didn't think to myself, "Why am I running this?" or something along that line.  Even though I knew I didn't train enough for it, I just ran at my best, one mile at a time.  I started slow, there were many half-marathoners, in the thousands, running along with the 600+ full-marathoners, so I was ready to wait for the split where the Half runners leave me.  I skipped the first few water stations but had my first Gu gel with water etc one hour in.  I had a long-sleeve tech shirt on the inside, with my track club singlet on the outside, but soon enough it got pretty hot.  To avoid losing time to wardrobe change, I waited until the HM split before removing the inner layer and ran with just the singlet.  By the half-way point, 13.1 mile, I was exactly 2:30 on the race clock.  Considering I crossed the start mat 2 minutes after gun time, I couldn't help wishfully thinking that I would have the race done under 5 hours.

Some time ago someone told me that the worst stretch of the Long Island Marathon is the highway portion.  They meant the Wantagh Parkway.  Once the half-marathoners went their separate way, there were just a handful of marathoners on the long stretch down the Parkway.  I studied the course map briefly before the race and knew that at some point there would be a U-turn on the Wantagh for the marathoners to head back to Eisenhower Park.  It shouldn't matter which mile mark that is but I asked an official-looking guy anyway.  He said Mile 14 or 15, but it turned out to more like Mile 16.5.  Whatever, it was still x miles to go no matter where the turnaround is.  It just felt better that a milestone is reached.

Things got really lonely on the highway so I struck conversation with other runners as I tried to pass them.  Or crack jokes with the volunteers at water stations, as well as thanking them.  After the U-turn, the sun really beat down on the runners and there was no shade to run in.  There was a breeze here and there but it was mostly sun.  I continued to follow my one-Gu-every-hour schedule, walked briefly through water stations, at which I usually took a cup of water and one of Gatorade.  Luckily, other than a brief time when I felt some pain in the knees, there was no major ache anywhere.  I just had to keep pressing on and I did.  When I ran, I really ran, for at least a mile or more.  Shortly after exiting the Wantagh, around Mile 23, I passed all runners within my myopic sight and made the wrong turn at Carman Avenue.  I didn't know that I was supposed to turn left and instead turned right.  The road on the right was half closed off with traffic cones so I figured that was where I should run, i.e. the other side was where normal traffic would be, road not closed.  The policewoman in the cruiser at the junction came out to holler at me and the few runners who followed me and we had to make a U-turn to get back on track.  It was nice to see that I was cruising at a good speed and was able to pass the same Asian couple I just passed earlier after getting off the highway.

At one intersection on Carman Avenue, cross traffic resumed but thanks to the policemen there, I was able to cross the intersection without slowing at all.  A little further on, before Mile 24, club member Nick spotted me and graciously ran with me.  He gave all kinds of compliments that helped boost my morale a lot.  I fear making another wrong turn during the last 2 miles but Nick knew the way and kept me on track.  Mile 25 was where runners turn off Carman Avenue to meander through the golf course.  Normally by this time I would half-run and half-walk, only to sprint when the finish line was in sight.  With Nick and his words of encouragement by my side, I was able to run all the way after Mile 24.  The golf course, pass a few slower runners, around some building, then the finish chute, then the finish line, it was incredible!  I remembered to take off my cap for the photographers as I ran over the finish mat.  5:09:37 was my time, which is better than last year's 5:13:xx and Yonker's 5:10:xx in 2012.  I have 5:08:xx for the inaugural Brooklyn Marathon, but since I ran it without a GPS watch and the course consisted of a few loops of Prospect Park I cannot help wondering if maybe I missed a loop.  I guess I just have to beat 5:08:xx some day then it won't matter any more.

NYCRUNS CENTRAL PARK MARATHON 2014

I know someone who has info from all her foot races in a neat little spreadsheet.  In this age, it may seems odd, what with Athlinks.com supposedly having every little bits of info about all runners, but it is good to have your own.  I did discover that untimed races like the NYRR Emerald Nuts Midnight Run or those supposedly unsanctioned races once organized by the Holiday Marathons folks are not listed anywhere.  You just have to make your own little list.  I am not done but the disturbing trend I found out is that my marathon finish time just got worse as time goes by.  For my most recent marathon race, the NYCRUNS Central Park Marathon, my finish time is 5:13:43.  I had two marathons completed in the 90s before chip time and those were about 6 hours.  My best marathon time was in 2011, at the Brooklyn Marathon, then each race after that just went down a few minutes, to this year's worst record. I do have a reason for the lousy performance but it is still upsetting.

It was a rough winter.  It snowed a lot and the weather was freezing cold.  I did not run as much as I'd like to.  As a matter of fact, I didn't have any 20-mile run as recommended by many training plans.  Many days I had to take time out to shovel or break the ice.  I didn't want to risk injury so I didn't run outdoor when it was slippery.  I suppose it would help if I have a gym membership and resorted to treadmills.  Even though I was unemployed, many things came up and I just couldn't find a block of 4 hours to carry out the long runs.  The most I ever did was a 15-mile run with a friend from PPTC.  Another time I was 10 miles into a supposed 20-mile run but I had to head back to pick up some medicines from the local pharmacy before it closed at 6.  Yeah, it is probably a first-world problem, but it's a problem nonetheless.

It was a beautiful day to be out running.  No rain, temperature just right for runners, and the roads in Central Park was mostly free of nasty ice.  I usually don't use bag check because of the delay in dropping off the bag and later retrieving it, but with NYCRUNS races there are not that many people so I brought a bag.  Just something to hold an outer layer of clothes.  The marathon was scheduled for 8:30, with the half-mary started at 8, so I had some time to get to the race.  It was nice to see daylight as I traveled to Central Park by subway.  As I entered the park, the half-mary people already started, which was a good thing because I didn't have to wait at all to use the john and to drop off my bag.  I worked with NYCRUNS before so it was nice to be greeted by many people.  The start of the marathon was about half a mile away but I got there in time for a short stretch, to bow for the national anthem, then off we went.  There was almost a thousand half-mary runners, but only about 350 in the marathon.  It took very little time to run past the start mat.

The marathon course consisted of five counter-clock loops of the park, the top portion being 102nd Transverse.  No Harlem Hill, just Cat Hill five times.  Much easier to remember compared to the course for the half-mary, which included a pass through 72nd Street and once up to the northern edge of the park.

Each loop had four water stations: in the 90s Street on the west side, at 68th Street on the west side, then around 72nd Street on the east side, and finally at 89th Street, near the Fred Lebow statue and NYRR office.  Years ago when I volunteered with Central Park Conservancy, I learned that the light poles in the park have street numbers assigned to them.  I don't know if that helped or hurt my run.  I should just plow ahead and not pay attention to where I was.  Five loops, it shouldn't matter what street I was at.  Besides, the course is not straight like the city streets, so for example one may be in the 70s and the next goal is in the 90s, it's not 20 blocks or 1 mile away, but rather whatever the curvy course is.  I tried to hug the curves but clockwise runners had the inner run lane so that strategy only worked sometimes.

The nice thing about a race with loops in Central Park, as opposed to one that covers a whole city, is that for slow runners like me I was never alone.  There were many other people out there enjoying the nicer weather.  At some point, I started to overlap the half-marathon runners, but eventually they all finished.  Just to keep my spirit up, I started to look for other racers like me and got to know three, Tory from Ashville, North Carolina, John from Annapolis, and Jeannie from San Francisco, some time during Loop 3 and afterward.  It helped to have a little competition with runners of similar capability.  We took turns leapfrogging each other, with walk breaks or time-out for Gu and water.  I worried about getting cramps and should have brought some salt, luckily nothing happened.

I brought 6 gel packs, thinking of having one before the race then one for each loop as I finished the loop.  The plan was flawed since by the time I finish the 5 loop there would be no need to have gel.  I would need the gel for the boost to keep going.  I had breakfast on the subway and didn't feel that I needed a gel pack before the race.  One pack per loop I did have, so by the time I finished the fourth loop, I had two left.  I used one for the water station at 68th Street on the west side, then another at the station near 72nd Street, then it was a slow walk up Cat Hill, and finally I actually reached Mile 25.  I passed by it a few times before, but only on the last loop would it really mean one more mile to go.  I took one last drink at the 89th Street aid station, asking for "rocket fuel" and was handed a double-dose of Gatorade, briefly and shortly hummed the theme music from the first Rocky movie, and somehow found the energy to run the rest of the way.  The time limit for the race was 5:15:00 and I made it in at 5:13:43.  It was not that they would instantly collapse everything, as other people past 5:15 also had their time recorded.  Not a bad time given the fact that I under-trained.

Thank you NYCRUNS staff and volunteers!

Thanks go to Patty CT for this photo of me early in the race.

The tech cap helped keep my vision clear, but near the end I took it off for the camera.

Thanks go to Nicole I. for this photo shortly after the finish.

The hard-fought finisher medal.  There was supposed to be a finisher shirt, too, but when I finished there were only ladies sizes left.

MARATHON... NOT!

Question for the runners:  You set aside a jar.  Each time someone tells you about a race and refer to it as a marathon, even though it is not 26.2 miles in length, you put a dollar into the jar.  How much money would you have now?

SOLIDARITY RUNS

The sports of running is often associated with fundraising or solidarity, to support some noble causes.  With the bombing at the Boston Marathon this past Monday, this weekend is packed with various such organized runs.  Due to temporary work and prior commitments, I cannot make to most of the events but hope that you can.  I've been running in support of the 4/15/13 Runners United To Remember the past few days, even got around to printing out the bib for the "event" and wearing it during yesterday's morning run.  The Facebook event can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/318199378309189/319623684833425/

Greetings from Coney Island - Wonder Wheel, Astrotower, and Cyclone.

I was going to run to the eastern end of Coney Island's Boardwalk, but it was closed.  The sweater is from a NYRR 25K and 4-Miler race and the cap is from a NYRR NYC Marathon, both from the 1990s.

If you'd like to join others in a run, check out this event on the 21st:

NYC Runs for Boston

10 AM Sunday 21 April, Columbus Circle

https://www.facebook.com/events/296310170501791/

Likewise, the NY Flyers running group is holding a run for the same purpose, on Saturday.  The event is open to all runners, not just members of NY Flyers.

NY Flyers
8 AM Saturday 20 April, Columbus Circle
http://nyflyers.org/social/eventsdb.php?eventtoviewid=2294#CUR


Last but not least, NYCRuns, which I work for on many weekends, is hosting a virtual 5K fundraising run for The One Fund Boston.  By participating in the virtual 5K, you'll get a chance to win free entry into every races that NYCRuns sponsor, for the rest of 2013.

NYCRuns Virtual 5K
Ongoing until 2:50 PM Monday 22 April 
https://nycruns.com/races/?race=runners-for-relief-a-virtual-5k-supporting-boston-marathon-bombing-victims


But wait, there are more!

Compatriots 5K, 10:30 Saturday the 20th, Reebok CrossFit, 37th St. and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
http://notworknetwork.org/league/4503/details

Run in Solidarity with Boston, 3 PM Sunday the 21st, Tavern on the Green
Runners in this event are encouraged to register with the NYCRuns Virtual 5K
https://www.facebook.com/events/561719700535655/?ref=3


I am sure there are other events, free/donation suggested/fundraising in nature, please add them as Comments.

BOSTON BETWEEN US

Some months ago, I entertained the idea of making a day trip with my friends from the track club (PPTC) to Boston to watch the marathon in person.  I am usually not a sports spectator, in person or on TV, but many club members were scheduled to run and I want to cheer them on.  I most likely will never qualify for Boston.  My best marathon time is over 5 hours whereas Boston qualified time, for my age group, is like 3 hours and 20 minutes, or whatever nowhere near 5 hours.  But I love taking photos, especially if there are people I know running in the race.

Something came up and I dropped the idea.  The morning of the Boston Marathon, I didn't even feel like watching and instead went about my usual gwriting, with a message for a newlywed friend.  Then came 3pm and social media was abuzz with news of the explosion near the finish line.  I followed the news for hours, on TV and on handheld devices.  It was sad but not surprising.  It seems not a matter of if but when.  I was nowhere near the site of the explosion, but I could have been there.  It happened at an event for a sports that I love.  Sure, living in New York and liking to run in desolate area that is away from civilization, or early or late in the day, any day I can be a statistic in police blotter, but it still gnawed at me.  It can happen anywhere that has many people together, but it still affected me personally because I love the sports of running.

Enough with the brooding, this morning I decided to resume doing what I love.  I thought of just running straight out and back, but then why not make a tribute to the people affected by the bombing as well?  I've been experimenting with GPS writing, or gwriting for short, and got pretty good at it.  Here's the route I took for today's 7 km.  (I would want to make 8 km, my usual daily distance, but the phrase is short and 7 km was all it took.)  Always one to come up with clever names, I call this route "BOSTON BETWEEN US", because the letters fall between Avenue U and Avenue S.

See the route animated here:

http://connect.garmin.com/player/298813321

NYCRUNS INAUGURAL CENTRAL PARK MARATHON AND HALF-MARATHON

Inaugural this, inaugural that.  NYCRuns is on a roll, first with the Brooklyn Marathon in 2011, then yesterday (Sunday 24 February 2013) with the Inaugural Central Park Marathon and Half-Marathon.  I ran in the Brooklyn Marathon, but for the Central Park race I played a small role in supporting the runners.  Some photos of the volunteers at the Finishers Village and some special runners.  More photos can be found at

https://plus.google.com/photos/109153989599275468311/albums/5848737966470786689

Bag check, just drop them bags here then pick them up after you cross the finish line, mere meters away and visible on the right in the background.

It was a beautiful day to run, but a cup of hot chocolate still hit the spot.

Amber poured another cup of hot chocolate as Laura looked on.

Flavia handed out a juicy and tempting apple.

Mike kept the park clean.

Tina kept the water flowing.

Bagels of many flavors were to be had, but blueberry was a favorite to many runners.

We aimed to collect every water cup, every Gu packet, anything discarded by the runners.

She was at the PPTC Cherry Tree 10-Miler, the NYRR Empire State Building Run-Up, and now at the NYCRuns Inaugural Central Park Marathon.

Last but not least, #311!

FUN IN REFUND

There is a runner in Bath Beach
With no income, he ain't rich
Guaranteed entry?
No! With refund, you see
Each meal, for life, bánh mì sandwich!

Good news came from the New York Road Runners today.  After about two months of little news, NYRR finally announced that any runners who were scheduled to run the 2012 NYC Marathon, but couldn't because it was cancelled at the last minute, have the options to get a full refund, minus the $11 processing fee.  Other options are 

• not get a refund but get guaranteed entry for the 2013, 2014, or 2015 marathon, but pay all over again, albeit at 2012 price
• not get a refund but get guaranteed entry for the 2013 NYC Half Marathon and, again, pay for everything all over.

As the runner from Bath Beach with no income, I'll jump onto the refund option.  Road races always carry a no-refund policy, but NYRR made an exception for this unusual circumstance.  Maybe the deal struck with their insurer will cover everything, maybe 50% will be covered, who knows?  All I know is it's a good deal for people who can use the refund.  Good P.R. for NYRR! P.R., in this case, of course, means public relation, not Personal Record, Mr. and Ms. Runner.

From what I saw on Facebook, it seems many people don't mind foregoing the refund to secure a guaranteed entry.  And paying all over again, even if it'll be 2012 price.  Hmm, the mention of "2012 price" makes me think price will go up in 2013 and so on.  Price increase or not, that's still one stiff price to pay for a guaranteed spot.  I suppose if people don't have the time to do 9+1 then it's comparatively less costly to just "buy" a spot with the money already spent on the ill-fated 2012 race.  At the wild number of $30 a race, doing 9 races can set you back $270, as opposed to the $200+ already spent on the 2012 NYCM.  Personally, I'd rather do the 9 races and get something more out of it, including a way to gage my training.

The NYC Half option is even less attractive, in my opinion.  From what I read, last year the NYC Half ran through Times Square and ended with a party in the South Street Seaport, all for a mere $100+ fee etc.  Again, you sorta buy a guaranteed entry for the NYC Half.  Quite a popular race, the NYC Half also has a lottery system and its own system for guaranteed entry.  One way to get into the NYC Half is to participate in four out of the five five-borough race series.  I did all five in 2012, including the Manhattan Half Marathon that became a fun run because of snow, for which I got race credit even though I was home shoveling snow.  I had guaranteed entry for the NYC Half but I passed the chance to spend $100+.

One common confusion is that the Manhattan Half and NYC Half are the same.  They are not, even though both takes place entirely in Manhattan.  NYC Half is touristy and happens in Central Park, Times Square, West Side Highway, then South Street Seaport, in March when the weather is usually nice.  Manhattan Half happens entirely in Central Park and is scheduled for the cold month of January.  It also costs less and anyone can sign up provided it is not already sold out.

With the end of the year approaching, nothing will actually happen yet with the refund etc.  Some email will be sent out January 10 of the new year and the runners will have some window of time to make the selection.  It would be real bummer if the world will really end tomorrow, December 21, 2012.  Wonder if I should ping some Australian or Asian people I know.  It's already December 21 there, right?

Farewell, cruel world!

For the exact wordings from ING, the sponsor of the NYCM, visit http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/resolution.htm

WELL WELL WELL 12/12/12!

December 12, 2012, aka 12/12/12 has come and is almost gone, and nothing significant happened.  Except perhaps that benefit concert that's all the buzz on my Facebook friends' walls.  I did not do anything different, other than set out to run 12.12 km instead of the usual 8 km.  I thought about running 12 hours 12 minutes and 12 second but I never ran that long before and there was not that many free hours in the day anyway.  Another option was to run 12.12 miles, which is equivalent to almost 20 km, which I could do in less than 2 hours and 15 minutes, but 12.12 km worked for me.

It's been a while since I ran to Fort Hamilton High School so that's where I aimed for.  I ran mostly along 85th Street, up Dyker Height's great hill between 12th and 11th Avenues.  When I felt like doing hill training I would run up and down the hills while moving a street over, i.e. up 85th St. then down 84th St., then up 83rd St. and down 82nd St.  Three sets of up and down was the max I ever did.  Today, I didn't want to get off-course so I went straight to 7th Avenue, over the foot-bridge that spans the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, then onward to Fort Ham.  At the school, the field was used by some people, safely assumed to be students since it was a school day.  The track and field were supposedly not open to the public since the gate from the playground was locked, even though part of the gate was already vandalized to allow a regular-sized person in easily.  Being the rule-abiding type, I didn't get onto the track but just ran on the sidewalk some more.  I already had over 6 km out but a little more further out wouldn't hurt, as I like to walk leisurely home when the chance is there.

Each time I cross the foot-bridge over the BQE I would recall the image of the highway (below) with the sign about the upcoming Marathon Sunday.  The photo was taken in 2011.  Alas, 2012 rolled around and the NYC Marathon didn't happen.  NYRR is in discussion with its insurance company and it will be a while before anything is known about what the 2012 runners can salvage from the situation.

STARTS WITH "TRI", RHYMES WITH "ON"

In this year, 2012 A.D., I will participate in a sport the name for which starts with "TRI" and rhymes with "ON".  Hmm, what can it be?  Triathlon?  But you cannot even swim 50 meters non-stop!  Sadly, it is true, no triathlon for me this year.  What I will do in 2012 is to run three marathons, or tri-marathon, get it?  Of course it won't be back-to-back races like Dean Kamazes’ 50-state streak.

For my hard work of completing 9 qualifying NYRR races and doing volunteering for one event (9+1) in 2011, I have guaranteed entry for the 2012 NYRR NYC Marthon, scheduled for November 4.  It cost an arm and a leg nowaday to run the NYC Marathon, but since I already did 9+1, might as well go through with it.  An item on the bucket list, that is what the NYC Marathon has become.

I subscribe to the mailing list NYCRUN.COM.  Early in the year, when I learned about the big discount on the Yonkers Marathon, I jumped at it.  Only $40!  How low can it go?  A few weeks ago, registration for the Brooklyn Marathon opened and even though the race will still be limited to Prospect Park, I signed up for it anyway.  It’s my home borough, I gotta support it.  The cost went up by $10 but at $80 it’s still affordable.

I would also sign up for the Rockaways Marathon too but it will be held a few weeks before the NYC Marathon.  I already spent so much money for the NYC Marathon, I do not want to take any chances with having a marathon done before the big one.  Like the Brooklyn Marathon, Rockaways’ was born just last year.  Hopefully it will be around next year as I plan to skip the NYC Marathon and use the money to run a few more races.

2011 Look-Back

Is it too late in the year to have a look-back at the old year?  Never mind, just pretend this is a bi-monthly magazine that did not cover the topic early enough, i.e. late in the old year before, and now have to push it out anyway.  A quality magazine, I might add, not one of those that back-date to make it looks like the blog, uh, magazine, comes out regularly.  Just kidding, TOTA!

So what happened in my life in 2011 that I considered memorable?  Or at least the event somehow got stuck that I can recall without too much brain-wracking.  To be fair to the months of the year, below I try to list at least one event per month.  As expected, with aging and brain cells destroyed by cell phone use or other forms of radiation, for some months I could not recall anything at all.  Luckily, there were old status updates in Facebook to re-visit.  I sure could have used the Timeline feature so that I did not have to click Older Posts many times.

January - A very cold day to run, but the NYRR Manhattan Half Marathon turned out to be the PR to beat for the entire year.  I ran non-stop, no water (!), and clocked at 2:23, the record remained unbeaten for the year.

February - While vacationing in the Orlando area, I finally got to meet Bill and Tahir.  I know Bill for years as a work colleague.  After many email messages, phone calls, and text chats, we finally met.  Tahir and I went to Newtown High School (Elmhurst) together, Class of 1985, and did not know each other but that's the wonder of Facebook.  I even got a nice welcome treat from Tahir and his wife.

March - I became hooked on the Millennium Trilogy and really needed to read the last of the series, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest.  Unfortunately, none of the public library systems in New York City had it soon enough.  But the local Jersey City branch has it, only catch was it was the Large Print edition.  I tore through the book (not literally) and came to appreciate large-print books more.  Ever since then, unless I have to read a particular book, I usually just pick something off the large-print shelf.

April - Ugh, St. Louis Marathon.  It was to be my first Marathon in 15 years, but because of hot weather it was cut short, for slow people like me who did not reach the half-way point at certain time.  Luckily, the trip to St. Louis was also to see TOTA and her husband.  I had the most relaxing few days of my life in a long time.

May - Being a resident of Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Half Marathon is one race I definitely had to be in.  It was the Brooklyn Half that I bumped into at Coney Island in 2010.  Up until then, I did not know such a thing, i.e. half-marathon, existed.

June - Somewhere along all that running my left foot got hurt so I decided to take the whole month off.  I missed running a lot and found cycling really boring.  Technically you operate a machine so you do not use that much of your own muscle power.  Most mornings I come home not even breaking a sweat.

July - With the cost of running in official races costing so much, the Holiday Marathon series was a welcoming experience.  The locale, Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, bordering Westchester, is far from convenient, but I finally made the trip, for the July 4th Run.  I missed some trail markers and only ran 4 miles, not the 6 miles intended, but it was still a good group run.

Aug - Two weeks in China.  Being not born in China and not one of those people who think greatly of the country just because some grandparent came from there, I was not that thrilled to be there, but hey, two weeks away from work is still two weeks from work.  I heard much about Shanghai Beach and finally got there, only it was not a beach but just a waterfront.

September - Thanks to my friends on DailyMile and elsewhere, I discovered the joy of gu - they really make a difference.  The body can carry only so much fuel, you need to replenish the fuel during long runs.  Energy Lab GUs and such stuff do wonders for the long-distance runner.  Speaking of long-distance, I also had my first U-haul driving experience, driving a truck from NY to Atlanta.

October - After years of living without a smartphone, I took the plunge.  It was not an iPhone, but rather an Android phone, to be exact, the Samsung Galaxy.  It sure is nice to have almost-constant access to email and such.  At a price.

November - I did not get into the NYRR Marathon via lottery but there was the Inaugural Brooklyn Marathon.  I actually did a full marathon, after a 15-year hiatus.

December - A new Personal Record!  At the Jingle Bell Jog 6K, I had a new P.R. with pace of 10:07.  Previous record was 10:22, from Coogan's Run, which was just 5K.

Sorry for the many references to running, but that's my life outside of work and family.

NYC Marathon - I'm In, Sort Of

I wanna be in the Marathon / So freaking bad

Run the whole twenty-six point two miles

The New York City Marathon is coming up fast, less than a week to go.  Not too long ago, ads for the Marathon started to plaster buses and subways, walls, and many other places.  The phrase repeatedly in the ads is, "I'm In".  Compared to the Boston Marathon, for which one must meet some minimum finish time, the NYC Mary is relatively easier to get in.  The elite runners still get automatic acceptance but the average person needs to rely on a lottery process.  There is also the 9+1 program whereby you run 9 races organized by the New York Road Runners (NYRR) and volunteer at one NYRR event.  There are a few other ways too.

To be in the 2011 race, one would have to make the necessary arrangements in 2010.  The only viable options for me were 9+1 and lottery, but it was only in July 2010 that I ran the Queens Half Mary and had the crazy idea that I should give the full mary a shot.  It was somewhat late for 9+1 so I went with the lottery.  $11 got me a chance but it didn't work out.  I ended up registering for the inaugural Brooklyn Marathon, a few weeks after the NYRM.  I will not be In the NYC Marathon for 2011.  Or so I thought.

Some days ago, I found out that the NYRR still needs volunteers for the Start Village in Staten Island.  I thought of watching the runners in Bay Ridge anyway since it was not far from me.  I would run along the Belt Parkway and get to Fourth Avenue to cheer them on.  But being with the runners in Staten Island is an even better deal.  Sure it will be challenging to be there at 5 AM but I think it will be worthwhile.  With the lousy subway service and the many people needing to get onto the S.I. ferry, I will probably need to leave the house at 2 AM!!!  If all goes well, I'll travel to Battery Park by subway, take the ferry across the sea to Staten Island, then run the 6 miles or so to the Start Village.  Or maybe I'll take the bus to the Start Village, if time is tight.

So, yes, I won't run in the NYCM in 2011 but I will be a volunteer at the Start Village, to be among all the excitement.  With 9+1 done in 2011, I will definitely be in the 2012 NYCM.  Just for kicks, I even signed up for the Yonkers Marathon, scheduled for September 2012, for a mere $40.

Twenty Miles

I finally did it, or came close enough.  I read somewhere that a few weeks prior to a marathon the runner should run a 20-mile course.  (For those who do not know, the marathon is 26.2 miles.)  Once before I ran 10 miles, from my home in Brooklyn, not far from the amusement parks of Coney Island, to Manhattan's Chinatown.  Other times, I ran half-marathons or 15K races organized by the NYRR.  I thought a 20-mi run would be just the 10-mi run with an extra 10 added.  The math is simple enough.

I expected to spend at least 4 hours doing the 20 miles.  If I run before the sun rises, I would have to bring a flashlight, just to have a source of light on me.  I feel better knowing there is a smaller chance some motorist not running me over.  For the 20-mile run, I wanted to travel light, really light, so I waited until the sun came out, around 6:15, before I started out.

I mostly followed the D subway line from 25th Avenue to Fort Hamilton Parkway, where the subway goes subterranean, i.e. underground or at least below street level.  Next the route went along 39th Street, which like because one side is all dead-ends so I had a long run totally uninterrupted by traffic.  At Fifth Avenue I turned toward Manhattan and used Greenpoint Cemetery to again avoid traffic.  Normally I avoid commercial areas like Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue, but it was early in the morning, 7ish to 8ish so there was not that many people out on the street yet.  The stores were mostly still closed.  Soon enough Flatbush Avenue was reached, next it was MetroTech Center.  Through the tree grove I tried to get to the street by going between 2 of the Polytechnic buildings, to reach George Westinghouse H.S., but alas that exit was closed.  I had to loop back toward 1 CMC and go past Starbucks to head toward the pedestrian lane of the Manhattan Bridge.  The ascend on the bridge seemed to take forever but eventually I got to the other side, Manhattan's Chinatown.  Maybe having ran this route before made it seem shorter.  The first 10 miles were relatively easy to cover.

Chinatown at 8 in the morning was already a busy.  Stores and restaurants were opened for business, dim-sum eaters abound, and there were some buses unloading, ahem, losers from Atlantic City, just a wild guess.  I did walk a little bit, even though it was relatively easy to run the 10 miles, I was still tired.  I continued running once inside Sarah D. Roosevelt Park, near the bike path of the Manhattan Bridge, to Delancey and then toward the waterfront.  Over a footbridge to cross the FDR, I was in the East River to continue the run south.  I ran this way before, but not all the way to the Winter Garden in Battery Park City.  The waterfront is not continuous but it was still possible to run mostly uninterrupted by vehicular traffic.  By the time I reached Pier 17 (South Street Seaport), I was so thirsty and hoped that the new playground, Imagination, would have a working fountain.  Rats, the place was closed, padlocked for the weekend perhaps.  I kept going past the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, along the street perimeter of Battery Park, and past the long line of tourists waiting to get ferry tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty.  Shortly later, I was inside Battery Park City.  The last time I was in the BPC, I think its southern end was still under construction.  Now there are gardens, walkways, arches, benches, everything nice and inviting, but I had a goal to reach.  Two blocks before reaching the Winter Garden, still not recognizing it from the outside, I gave up and bought a Gatorade from a street vendor.  I walked to the Garden and even sat down for about 10 minutes, under the indoor palm trees.  It was warm and comfortable, but I had to get back and soon found myself tracing my path back.  By then both feet were aching, even the toes ached, on the left.  It helped a bit that I knew what was coming up next, but still I couldn't run all the way back to Chinatown.  After cross the FDR via the footbridge, I walked the rest of the way.  It probably came out to 18 miles and not 20, but that will have to do.  I sure hope the crowd in St. Louis will be supportive enough for me to cover the whole 26.2 miles.  My strategy will be 10 miles, a short walk while drinking, then another 10 and some more water, then it's all the way to the finish line.  I ran the Manhattan Half-Marathon continuous, without stopping at all, no water whatsoever.  But for a full marathon, I cannot do that, as my attempt at a 20-mile run already shown.