Queens 1/2 M Race Report

Congrats on the PR and the even pace, Lance.

Simply perfect day for a race.

Missed my 1:35:00 target by 1:11. Satisfied anyhow. Mitigating
factors:
[a] worn out and insufficiently recovered from the week's training, and
[b] needed to wait out the long porta-potty this morning, the usual
tree wouldn't have sufficed, so started 10 mins after the gun; never
got close to my pace peers (OTOH nice to avoid the frustration with all
the walkers who line up in front, who were pretty well dispersed by the
time I passed 'em). It feels good to pass pass pass the whole race and
not be passed, but it also makes it tougher to maintain pace.

Ran pretty evenly but simply couldn't keep up the 7:1x's as the race
wore on.

Highlight: the sweetness of the handful of local folks who show up to
support the runners. I remember the family handing out orange slices,
and the one pouring cups of water (one cup poured in the time a couple
dozen runners go by... but there's a water/gatorade table in another
1/4 mile or less anyhow) from last year.

Lowlight: had to radically swerve to avoid a racer who, having stopped
for an orange slice or water or gatorade, had the
idiotaudaciouscluelessness to walk across the street, perpendicular to
the river of runners, studiously avoiding so much as a glance in the
direction of our oncoming traffic. Barely avoided plowing her over,
but the instinctive whip of my arm into the air to maintain balance
hurt my shoulder. Luckily it faded in a mile; I've slipped on ice in
the winter, done the same thing to stay upright, and had the shoulder
smart for days. What's up with that: I mean, you expect people to be
pretty inconsiderate and clueless in this town, especially certain
tourists who've never needed to grok that their bodies *occupy physical
space* which *must be different physical space* from that occupied by
all these other nearby bodies - but a racer who has been surrounded by
a few thousand runners for half an hour, you'd hope wouldn't lose sight
of the physics of the situation.

Quoted message said:

I have lots of energy still in me and will be doing a
5 miler in a couple of hours. I don't think I left it
"all out on the course" today

Quoted message said:

2-a-day training....4-5 miles in the am, the same in the pm

if you see kay said:

Highlight: the sweetness of the handful of local folks who show up to
support the runners. I remember the family handing out orange slices,
and the one pouring cups of water (one cup poured in the time a couple
dozen runners go by... but there's a water/gatorade table in another
1/4 mile or less anyhow) from last year.

Yeah, I did this race last year. The crowd support was awesome. So are the
volunteers from the local running club.

I don't like the course all that much though. My favourite course is Brooklyn,
though my PR is at Staten.

Quoted message said:

Well, more power to ya. I'm absolutely beat even after a good nap.

Im usually dead tired the rest of the day, sore the next day, and a bit
sluggish for about a week or so.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

Quoted message said:

Im usually dead tired the rest of the day, sore the next day,
and a bit sluggish for about a week or so.

I'm kinda heartened to hear that from you - it's not *just* that I'm
getting old.

I also believe that this week after an all-out race of this distance is
historically dangerous for me. A couple times I've taken a day or two
off, started feeling fresher and maybe some post-race boost, and
hammered a couple runs or midweek races (that summer series of low-key
5K's which alternates Prospect Park and Staten Island), then found
myself hobbled with ITBS or a hamstring strain shortly thereafter.

This time I intend to follow at least the spirit of the rule of thumb
to run easily for N days after an N mile race. Maybe not a full two
weeks, but I will not will not will not run anything but easily next
week. Even if it means I have to avoid the park, where my downfall is
that I sometimes can't bear to be passed by some post-frat-boy doofus
with horrible form, e.g. the 130 stride/minute stomp stomp clomp clomp
clown who passed me on my slow Monday recovery run, so that even if he
was younger and probably fitter than me and working harder, the thought
of letting him continue to obviously revel in being the self-satisfied
King Of The Park was just an aesthetic affront (ok, and maybe some
testosterone-based chest thumping at work too). Nope, I had to
accelerate, keep pace with him for a while as he really pushed, and
eventually crank it up to about 5k pace for a considerable distance
including that big uphill, leaving him long since in the dust and me
just about ready to puke. Not much of a recovery after my longest run
of 2005 the day before. Yeah, I can be stoopid with the best of 'em.

Good job making up for a late start. the 2-a-days have rejuvinated my
racing speed. the key to this training for me, male-42 yrs. old is
nutrition. i'm really monitoring my protein, carb & hydradtion intake
big time throughout the day...insuring i have sufficient stores to pull
off 2-a-days well. i'm not half-ass'ing one of them. this means
adding nutrition meal replacement drinks & bars in the equation of food
i eat, etc.

in fact my last run prior to this race was wed. morn, a 5 miler as i
was feeling i was nearly over trained. i gave myself 72hours of pure
rest from running. i felt great out there today, strong...steady...i
just cruised the course and unlike donnie, i don't mind the course.
though i could not believe the number of runners at my pace 6:30-7:00
crowd that were cutting corners and going from the road to the sidewalk
to jump others at turns. i saw this at least 5 times. i just seemed
petty....and the course allowed for this, especially in the industrial
section. when i saw this i just thought, "c'mon guys...the course is
the road....must a cone be at every corner for you to respect the
course?". I kind of operate under the assumption that we all know the
intended course is on the road, not the sidewalk. i'm no geometry wiz
but i could not believe how circumventing the course like this closed
gaps between runners.

yes, the support was nice...i liked giving the "head up" to the kids
that i was aiming for their cup, etc....ya know we're just regular
people...but it's thrilling to a 5 or 6 year old to hold out a cup and
hand it to a racer.......so as i approached some of those terrfic
volunteers....i gave them the thumbs up on the approach, snatched, and
saluted. that's one thing that's great about runners/racers.....even
when time keepers let you know your time.....runners appreciate it and
often say "thank you", in the race, to the timekeeper! i'm serious
about my racing but i always wave to people that applaud us, etc. in
racing. just a simply acknowledgement and return tip of the cap. i
grabbed an orange slice myself. in fact i saw/heard donnie's coach,
Glover, screaming at runner to bite/consume the slice in his hand
pronto and push it to the end of the race. Glover's unbelievable with
his ability to show up at various points on the course and press his
runners on.

it was a perfect day for racing. i had a ball today.....alas..but
today is over. the cruel reality of running. ...can't rest on laurels
of yesterday....the running gods will reward those who put in the work
tomorrow, and the next day, and so on. so with that, goodnight...

Quoted message said:

Queens, NY, New York Road Runner's Half-Marathon, May 14, '05

Nice race Lance. Congrats on the PR. I love those shoes also. I've
worn them in a couple of 10K races and a marathon.

Anthony. (also contemplating some 2 runs/day but wondering how on Earth
I can schedule it...)

Congrats on the race. Is there a good reason why you didn't taper
properly for this race?
Are you targetting a marathon and this is part of the training?

Anthony.

Ok, I give up 'me', how many queens ran in the race?

Were 'straights' allowed too? Or only queens?

Quoted message said:

Congrats on the race. Is there a good reason why you didn't
taper properly for this race?
Are you targetting a marathon and this is part of the training?

Thanks Anthony.

Yeah, you're close enough. My ill-defined primary racing target of
2005 is to be in the best shape I can in the fall and run some good
races then. Which may or may not include really trying to optimize for
the marathon: I'll run NYC this year, and haven't decided whether it's
important to me to race this to the limit of my ability, or to treat it
as more spectacle than race and enjoy the hell out of it at a somewhat
more comfortable pace.

I knew I wasn't in PR shape at the moment, so made a conscious decision
to train through this race and consider it more important as 20% of my
2005 goal of running all 5 NYC grand prix half marathons, and as a
monster all-out training run. Though in retrospect I kinda wish I had
taken an additional day off, or at least easier - even knowing I
couldn't yet threaten last fall's time, it would have been more
satisfying (and more informative) to perform closer to my current
ability.

Quoted message said:

Were 'straights' allowed too? Or only queens?

Jutht uth queenth, thilly. 1698 "men" and 918 "women".

And you thimply WOULD NOT BELIEVE how many of the men were getting "I
heart TBR" tattoos post-race. In fact we voted you and Ron Grossi
homecoming king and queen in absentia.

Quoted message said:

Congrats on the race. Is there a good reason why you didn't taper
properly for this race?

Re tapering -- if you race frequently (for example, once a month or more),
it's not really practical to do that. So you've got to choose which ones
you're going to taper for. If the HM is your big goal race, you've got to do a
proper taper. But otherwise, IMO, you probably shouldn't.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

"I heart TBR"???? I'm flattered, i think????

And no, i thimply wouldn't.

<[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

my nutrition was spot
on...had no desire for water til mile 5 and even then simply swooshed
it in my mouth and spit it out. more than drinking water, i was
splashing it in my face to reinvigorate my senses and refreshen my
focus/awares of "place". this works for me quite a bit. it cools me
down and relax's me.

It's hard to imagine that you didn't lose several pounds, unless you are one
of those extraterrestrials who don't sweat. If you did, your performance
was impacted by dehydration. Maybe not that much, a minute or two, but I
betcha it cost you something. (I'm assuming that you didn't drink at all).

Hey, I used to do entire marathons doing very little drinking, but knowing
what I do now, that was pretty dumb.

Quoted message said:

the race for me was rather uneventful....and that's a good thing. i
had a plan, stuck with it, and employed it today perhaps 90% of
realizing my pre-planned objectives. what i was most proud of...what i
impressed myself with the most?....pushing through the hills. that's
my weakest game. that's where i generally lose ground and othe
runner's eat me up. i am getting better at this phase of this running
game.

So, what'd you do in training -- hit the hills hard? Or was it just a
result of being in better condition.

Quoted message said:

I PR'ed today at the Half-M, 1:28:39 or 6:46 min/mile. I'm really
pleased with how I ran rather evenly through the race. I am getting
better at that. Shoes came through with flying colors. Nice flat
w/more support than a typical NB flat. However I have lots of energy
still in me and will be doing a 5 miler in a couple of hours.

None of my biz, but I'd consider that a *bad* idea. An all out half-mar is
enough of a workout for one day.

Quoted message said:

I don't
think I left it "all out on the course" today...and could have ran less
cautiously. I did run cautious today...I had a simple game
plan....find a 6:30 pace and try to hang w/it as long as possible.

Having to back off of your starting pace a bit indicates you raced it pretty
hard, imo.

Quoted message said:

Anyway...glad to PR early in the running season...as my previous 1/2PR
came at the peak in the Fall. Hopefully if I keep training as I am,
and maintain a proper diet...I should be PR'ing all Summer and in the
Fall. I credit my running rival to going to 2-a-day training....4-5
miles in the am, the same in the pm....M-F...then getting in some long
runs on the weekend...

I did 2 a days and 1 a days and didn't notice much difference. I found that
a consistent base was the key: 70 mpw was good if you broke it up or did it
in one piece. Some research indicates that you grow more mitochondria on
runs of > 90 minutes. I used to run 13 in the morning M-F in one lump (in
about 1:40), and had good results (eg, 1:15:00 half). Of course, I did the
thing you dont: speedwork.

I've read that the Kenyans run upwards of 3x a day, but the morning run is
the easier one, and the PM is where the rubber hits the road. Same for
Paula, I recall.

Good luck,

-- Dan

Dan Stumpus said:

It's hard to imagine that you didn't lose several pounds, unless you are one
of those extraterrestrials who don't sweat. If you did, your performance
was impacted by dehydration.

In a half marathon race, cool conditions -- I'd be surprised. I've done some
weighing on training runs and find I lose very little weight unless it's warm.
Heat makes a huge difference to the amount that you sweat. I know it's possible
that one can sweat and not accumulate moisture because of evaporation -- but
whenever I weigh-in, I find that if I'm dry and cool for the whole run, I also
haven't lost much weight.

When I ran my PR, I hardly drank anything. I doubt I would have run a 1:17
just by overdrinking. Likewise, Lance's time for this race ranks up pretty
high among his all-time best across all races (e.g. WAVA scores or whatever)

Quoted message said:

I did 2 a days and 1 a days and didn't notice much difference. I found that

I admit I'm stumped by this two. Something's got to have improved about his
training, because he is running somewhat better than in previous years. Maybe
he's getting more mileage in, or maybe he runs some of them close to threshold
pace (that is, maybe he's found a way to trick himself into doing some sort of
speed work)

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

i'm getting in more mpw, at least 55 the last 2. i'm getting smarter
and more aware of nutrition on a daily basis. i'm still drinking 2
glasses of wine/night over dinner but immediately after a 4-5 mile run
close to threshold pace i'm drinking ABB's "CarboForce" spiked w/same
flavor Cytomax...and i might even drink a Myoplex protein drink. In
sum, I'm trying to replenish and recover immediately as I know in about
11-12 hours I am going to "do it again" and push my body. IMO the key
to 2-a-days is having the "stores" to make them quality near speed work
runs.

I "went through the motions" prior in training runs. Just clocked
miles, that's it. I am just "dialed in" now w/training in terms of
objective, goals, purpose. I never viewed training runs like that
before...i was way too casual about it...for competitive racing. Note
I'm "uncoached"....and I kind of got tired of seeing coached runners
suck me up that last mile or two prior to the finish. "holding my own
ground" has been my theme.

Note also w/shoes, I sized up 1/2 a size. Yup....I'm having more
comfortable, less fatiguing training runs and races. A single or
double pair of Dr. Shoals insterts does the trick in providing a snug
fit yet does not infringe on allowing for a comfy/roomy toe box. Toe
Box "fit" is very important to me since I'm mostly trying to ball
strike & with my 172 .lbs mass in a 5'9" frame....I am applying
pressure in that dept.

Lastly I've just "upped" the mental game in the whole thing. I went
into this race certain I would PR this distance. I mapped the whole
race out prior to the start, unconditional unconditional to the
terrain....in my mind. Heck in 7 days I'm racing in a 10K (w/some of
you i'm sure) and I'm mapping that race out now in my mind. I expect
to PR in that race in that distance as well and will do everything I
can this week to prep for that.

Gary Mack, "Mind Gym"...that's the book. Sports psychology. Example.
Roger Bannister. Before he broke the 4 Min mile...the idea of doing so
was unheard of. Some people thought if you ran so fast you broke a 4
min. mile, you might die. It was just believed to be a barrier
impossible to cross. Well...after he did it, I believe within 1 year 5
or so other runners did it...and then within 2 years, several many more
also did it. What changed?

The pyschological barrier was shattered. I believe that. The myth of
breaking the 4 minute mile was GONE. With that burden lifted, that
psychological belief "NO MORE", runners BELIEVED they could achieve
certain goals that were previously believed to be barrairs no on could
penetrate.

So now I go into raced completely believing that despite having a
sprinter's body and not a distance runner's body....."I can do this".
I completely vision my goal and believe I can "do it". So next week at
the 10K...I believe I can PR. Will I? Who knows...but I am not going
to defeat myself prior thinking it's not possible. I'm going to do all
I can this week to make it possible and then on race day, deliver.
We'll see.

Quoted message said:

"NP ~ Hey!"
~ Folly

En Pee, mon petit foie gras?

Lo siento,
pero
No entiendo.

Quoted message said:

Queens, NY, New York Road Runner's Half-Marathon, May 14, '05
___

Quoted message said:

happy trails...

Contratulations on the pr. I ran a few pr's on that course myself, but
on the old, yet rather similar course.

The last time I ran Queens it was shear joy getting up and over that
last hill and cruising to the finish. But that final stretch to the
finish in the park seems sooooo long, it goes on forever.

A pr on that course is worth every bit of bragging.

Andy

"NP ~ Hey!"
~ Folly

"En Pee,
Mon petit foie gras?"
~ NP

"Non ~ !"
~ Folly

"Lo siento,
pero
No entiendo."
~ NP

"Perchè non goderlo,
Capisca più successivamente?"
~ Twittering