Race report: 2011 Run for the Warriors

Field of Honor near the 10K start

Today's run (Run for the Warriors 10K): 6.2 miles

Clock time: 56:05 - Net time (chip): 55:50

The Run for the Warriors race is in its 4th year and I've participated over the last two years. Last year I ran it in 56:23, which (at that time) was my fastest 10K to date. I had low expectations for today's race because I have not been running well this past month. Due to that, my weekly distance has dropped about 30% since the end of September. I'm pleased to report that I beat my performance expectations handily today.  I'm not sure why, but I'm happy that I did.

This race is all about those who serve in the military and the families that support them. There's a strong patriotic theme overlaying all the proceedings and the event feels both festive and serious.

The organizers did a great job, as they did last year, and they corrected a few things from the 2010 race that made it a better experience. First, there were twice as many Port-O-Potti's to handle the 2,000+ crowd than there were last year. People appreciated that. Secondly, the 10K race started before the 5K this year. That prevented much of the congestion we experienced last year, caused by the side by side walkers who blocked runners that started behind them. It was still crowded at the start with just the 10K runners, but it was much better this year.

Like last year, the pre-race program involved the acknowledgment of the soldiers who serve in the armed forces and the local service people who'd lost their lives in battle. It was an emotional scene with family members that lost loved ones running in their honor.

Starting the 10K race with a shout to my family

The race started at 9:30 AM and that caught me by surprise because the website said the 10K start would happpen at 9:45. Luckily, my daughter was paying attention and she rushed me to the line just minutes before the starting gun sounded. Suddenly we were off and I was was about to discover whether I had the fitness to compete today.

I had taken a GU Roctane gel twenty minutes prior to the start and I felt good as we began to move. We all started slowly due to the crowd. That was fine with me because my original plan was to start slow and pick up speed if I felt I could maintain a faster pace. By the time we reached the off-ramp on Sunrise Highway, leading to Wellwood Avenue, I knew that I had enough in reserve to get through the race. My original goal was to run this race under 62 minutes and I thought I had a good shot at that.

The course is flat and probably more downhill than uphill. I passed a fair number of people on Wellwood, but I also got passed by more than a few. There were two soldiers doing the entire race on their hands and feet and that looked really hard. I felt badly for them but they were doing it in symbolic solidarity with their overseas compatriots.

We passed the first mile and I saw that I was pacing at 9:02 and worried that I was going too fast that early in the race. I felt good so I maintained that pace and, before I knew it, we had taken the left onto E. Hoffman Ave. This road parallels the LIRR tracks and it had been resurfaced since last year's race.

The smooth blacktop was an excellent surface to follow and at the 2 mile point I was cruising. I really felt like I was floating. I managed to catch up to a few runners and pass them and I kept encountering a group of soldiers who were running together in line, stopping every mile to do a series of push-ups. Must be great to be in that shape.

When we turned north onto Great East Neck Road that intersects with Route 109, I had another Roctane gel. I didn't really need it then, but I wanted some extra energy for the remaining three miles. I took some water to wash it down and, when we hit 109, I was feeling well fueled.

I'd come through the 5K point at around 28 minutes and was looking for the 4 mile marker along the northern road. By this time I started to think I might finish with a decent time. The following minutes were unremarkable and I wondered if I'd already passed 4 miles when my Garmin chirped. I was amazed to see I'd just passed five miles!

I saw the sign for the exit onto Sunrise Highway that confirmed that I was on my last mile. I was running well but the off ramp had a long steep rise and I felt some strain for the first time in the race. Before long we were heading down the ramp onto Sunrise and race volunteer yelled "Almost there, just a half a mile to go!" As always, that last half mile seemed longer than it should, but when I saw the big flag and the crowds along the road I kicked into finish mode.

100 feet to the finish line

About 100 feet prior to the line, my wife and kids stood cheering and this gave me the impetus to push even harder at the end. The clock said 56:05 when I finished, but my net was 13 seconds less. No big deal. Either way I was just north of the 9:00 mark but my goal prior to the race was to stay below 10:00. I made that goal for sure and felt very strong after the race. I guess my conditioning was better than I'd judged it to be.

It was great surprise to run this race that I almost skipped because I thought I wasn't ready to do it. I give my wife credit for convincing me to run the race regardless of my performance. Next weekend is the Long Beach Turkey Trot, another 10K. I'll go into that with greater expectations but, like today, I'll run my race based on how I'm feeling and see how it goes.

Ready or not, I'm racing tomorrow

It's less than a day until I line up for the Run for the Warriors 10K and I'm curious to see how I do. I don't have high expectations for a record setting performance, although I do have a finish time goal. I'll reveal how close I come to that, after the race.

I'm usually primed for competition the days before a race and (if I've followed my training plan) reach my peak on race day. Last week's seven mile run confirmed that I'm out of practice for distances greater than than 5 miles. I don't know how I'll be feeling when I pass that point but (at least) the effects from my flu shot and my semi-cold seem to have passed.

This morning I ran through my favorite set of core exercises. It's a light workout that won't do much, but it might help a little. Tomorrow I'll start slow and pick up the pace as I go along, aiming for negative splits for the second half. That may be a little ambitious, but it's a strategy. It's been a busy Saturday but I did get some extra sleep last night. Will proper rest and feeling healthy translate into a good run? I'll let you know tomorrow.

Veteran's Day, Warrior's weekend

Last year's finish

It just occurred to me that the date for the Run for the Warriors 10K on Sunday isn't random. This race, held on the Sunday closest to Veteran's Day, is an inspiring event. When I signed up last year I imagined it to be the typical Long Island local race, with ~500 runners and the usual low-key staging I'd come to expect from those events.

When we arrived on race day, I was astounded to see the large crowds, a rock band playing and tented grounds that were impressively decorated with a patriotic theme.

Last year there were about 2,000 runners split between the 1 mile, 5K and 10K distances. The 5 & 10K races started together and we split our routes after a mile or so. There were many servicemen and women running in their fatigues. One group of Marines opted for matching tees and shorts and others wore dress uniforms and carried their flags as they ran.

The most impressive runners were those soldiers who carried full packs and ran in combat boots. I'm guessing this was to show solidarity with their brethren overseas who were on active duty. One soldier clearly demonstrated that point by running with a full sized dummy dressed in combat fatigues.

Overall, the race was great, but two things I hope they do differently this year is expand the area for parking and provide more than five Port-O-Potti's for a crowd that numbers in the thousands.

A return to the Hattori's

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Super minimalist ninja

Hattori Hanzō was a famous ninja and samurai who lived in 16th century Japan. I'm guessing that his sword skills were the inspiration behind Saucony's Hattori super minimalist running shoes. I've put about 250 miles on mine since I've got them and I've come to love their purposeful simplicity.

For the last three weeks I've been running in either my Saucony Mirages or Brooks GTS-10's in an attempt to clear up a minor pain I've had near my right Achilles. I figured that the greater cushioning and stability control on these shoes (compared to the Hattori's) would help my healing. It  must not be the shoes because the pain remains, although it always goes away after a few minutes of running.

Since Sunday is race day, I thought I'd end my taper with a run in the Hattori's. It's a different experience going back to a shoe 1/3 the weight of the Brooks. I worried that my layoff from these shoes would cause me some calf pain when I returned to them, but I had no problems today. I ran okay but I'm nowhere near my late September peak. I think the Hattori's provided some benefit over the heavier shoes this morning since I ran 30 seconds per mile faster than yesterday. However, that pace was still far off my target for the 10K. I guess I should reset my expectations for this race and defer my focus on performance until the following weekend when I run the Long Beach Turkey Trot.

Running through the clouds

Still foggy two hours later

Today's run (street): 2.6 miles

For me, the appeal of running correlates directly to the conditions at hand. 40° on a bright Saturday morning with no time restrictions is very appealing. Running in the dark at 4:00 AM just minutes after waking from a sound sleep is far less appealing. In some cases, after I've begrudgingly prepared for my run, something happens to change my outlook. That was the case today.

It seemed a little humid as I dressed for my run and I left off a top layer thinking it would be warmer than yesterday. Again, I had trouble getting my Petzl Tikka Plus headlamp to work. The batteries get easily unseated within their housing and this prevents the lamp from switching on. As well as it has served me, I think the Tikka is due for replacement because these problems are costing me precious time.

I stepped out and watched the garage door rise, revealing my neighborhood shrouded in heavy fog. The street lights projected ethereally and the density of the fog kept visibility to about 30 feet. I thought it looked amazing and suddenly looked forward to starting off on my run.

The run itself was unremarkable. I'm still working through some mechanical issues but it was fun to see the world through this haze of distorted light. Running is a physical activity, but so much about it is enhanced by the experience itself. A four mile run in the woods, where your view and conditions change constantly, is far more interesting than a four mile run on treadmill. Today's route was similar to the course I run every day. But what I experienced this morning was much more interesting and different than normal.

Passing the test

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Today's run was an acid test for me. I wanted to gauge my fitness for next Sunday's race to see how I felt coming off a difficult seven miler with one day's rest. I probably dressed too warmly for the weather but the distance was short so I avoided overheating.

I started at an easy pace, though not as slow as Sunday's, and increased my speed as I went on. By mile one I was running at my 10K goal pace and my last half mile was 30 seconds faster than goal pace. I didn't feel especially strong and my stride was not fluid, but I felt on track to compete. I'll sign up today for the race and train the next two days. I'll follow that with two day's rest prior to Sunday's race.

I have a decision to make

The switch to daylight savings yesterday was a welcomed change. It made only one hour's difference but it allowed me to sleep a little longer on Sunday and still get out early for a long run. The whole day seemed longer, as did the entire weekend. This morning the train station was no longer swathed in darkness like it had been over the past few weeks. I only wish it was this light out at 4:00 AM.

Yesterday's run was plenty tough for me and I'm seriously reconsidering my plan to run a 10K race next Sunday. For no single reason, I've been off my athletic game over the last month and have not run particularly long distances on weekends. I usually cover 10-12 miles on weekends, but that average has dropped 30% since September.

I'm going to think about whether to run the Hope for the Warriors 10K or use next weekend to help me prepare better for the 11/20 Long Beach Turkey Trot. I may have disadvantaged myself yesterday by not refueling during the run that took over 70 minutes and that could account for my near bonk. I'll make a decision today so I can know how to conduct this week's training.

There was an interesting article in yesterday's NY Times about Lauren Fleshman, a 5,000 meter champion, who ran the NYC Marathon to help improve her short distance competitiveness. She talks about the need to change up training to achieve significant progress. I liked this quote: “At 30, I’m not going to get dramatically better doing the same thing.”  It made me think about my own training and what I really can expect to get out of the workouts I do, week after week.

NYC Marathon morning run at Bethpage

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 7.1 miles

Today is the New York Marathon and I watched the race on TV after my run on the bike trail at Bethpage. It was an exciting finish for the women, with Dado overtaking Keitany's lead in the last miles through Central Park. On Friday, I made my annual pilgrimage to the NYC Marathon Expo at the Javits Center and brought along KWL who had never attended it.

The Expo was even more overwhelming this year than last and I saw Dean Karnazes and met Marshall Ulricht, whose book "Running on Empty" I'd recently read. It was amazing to talk to this man who set records for running across America, starting in San Francisco and finishing in New York 52 days later.

With Desi Davila - Boston Marathon record-holder

I also met Desi Davila, who finished second in this year's Boston Marathon and holds the fastest women's time ever in that race.  Desi was sweet and humble, I mentioned the cover story about her in Running Times and she just smiled and nodded. She told me she was skipping the NYC marathon because she's training for the 2012 Olympics. I will be rooting for her to make the team!

Today I took advantage of the Daylight Savings Time roll-back and got out early for my run. I planned to take it easy so I could benchmark my condition and see how ready I am for a 10K next Sunday. It was chilly and I wore layers and gloves and I felt pretty good for the first four miles. At around the five mile point I started feeling some weakness. I'm thinking that my base has probably slid back to about 4 miles since Cow Harbor. I slowed down a little to get past a hilly section and tried not to think about the last mile that is the toughest part of the return leg.

By mile six I felt similar to how I'd felt near the end of my half marathon, my spirit was willing but my legs were not. I told myself "just keep going" and I did, although I'm not sure how I managed to get over that final hill.

I may not run the Race for the Warriors next weekend because (as of right now) I don't feel prepared to run a competitive 10K. I guess I can run it as a training exercise for the Long Beach Turkey Trot the following week. I'll decide that in the next day or so. I'm hoping that my experience today had more to do with having a slight chest cold than the fact that my conditioning isn't where it needs to be right now.

Slight concerns for my 10K readiness

Today's run (street): 3.25 miles

I would have like to cover more distance this morning but I had an early appointment that limited my running time to about 30 minutes. It was 38° according to News12 when I prepared for my run and I bundled up with long pants, long sleeved shirt, a hat and gloves. I worried that I'd get too hot at some point but with only thirty minutes on the road I stayed fairly comfortable throughout my run.

Yesterday's performance was sub-par and that workout served only to keep continuity in my schedule. I felt a little pressure when I went out today knowing that this weekend is the last time that I can train at any real distance for next weekend's Hope for the Warriors 10K. I am still feeling under the weather so I compromised on intensity and focused on maintaining a pace that was roughly between my daily run pace and my targeted pace for the 10K.

I had no mechanical problems with my stride and felt no fatigue, but I wasn't at the level I want to be on race day. I followed an extended version of my usual course and thought about form and cadence. The run began to feel harder at the two mile mark and this concerned me because that is only a third of a 10K. I decided to ignore the difficulty and worked to maintain speed by using arm swing to increase leg turnover.

In the end I achieved my pace goal but I still have some concerns about the fragility of my six mile base. A longer run tomorrow should give me a better sense of my readiness. I'm looking forward to watching the NYC marathon tomorrow and that will help motivate me to cover some distance. I have a few friends who are running the marathon for the first time tomorrow and I'm hoping that they have great experiences. Knowing how hard a half marathon can be, I admire them very much.

What is it about Fridays?

Today's run (street): 2.25

It has been a busy week and I thought "TGIF" when I went out for this morning's run. However, within five minutes, I knew that I was in for a bad Friday run for the second week in a row. I'm guessing that I'm fatigued from three days of intense discussions, presentations and other stressful factors. I don't care that much about having a bad run, but I do like to know why I ran badly.

I've switched over from my Hattori's to my Saucony Mirages since the Oyster Bay 5K in hopes of eliminating the slight, but nagging, pain I get between my right heel and Achilles. I figured that the stability post on the Mirage might help that somewhat. When I went out today, the pain was there and it was fairly pronounced. As usual, the pain subsided once I'd traveled about a mile.

It's hard to understand exactly what made today's run bad. I had no obvious issues (besides the heel pain), but I couldn't generate much speed. I cut my distance short because I wanted to use the extra few minutes to rest before my shower. I really need to be on my game this weekend and get some base miles in since I haven't done too many 5+ mile runs lately and I have a fast 6.2 scheduled on November 13. I'm hoping that my Friday curse won't extend to Saturday.

Ready to refocus

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

It's been a very busy week for me and though I've put in the time and the miles, I feel a little disconnected from my running. Now that most of my week's distractions have passed, I'm hoping to refocus on my training goals. Tomorrow is the NYC Marathon Expo at the Jacob Javits Center and I'll try to get over there if I can. It's an amazing Expo, with no fee to get in and plenty of free samples (typically food, not running gear). Last year I was fortunate to see Greta Waitz who appeared at the Adidas booth and I shook hands with Bart Yasso, whose book I'd just read.

I'm planning to put in one or two distance runs this weekend to help get me ready for the 10K on the 13th. That race is coming up fast and I don't really feel prepared. The injuries from my fall are healing and I'm running well this week, so I'm hoping for a good experience on Saturday.

Can I be tempted to run a full marathon?

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles
I'm clearly back to full strength in my running as evidenced by today and yesterday's runs. A good part of my work week is taking place at industry meetings and yesterday I had the good fortune of seeing both of my running mentors (CK & CMC) during the day's events.
I told CK that my troubles on Friday were likely caused by my flu shot. I'm not sure he bought that but I'll show him next time. CMC offered to run with me on my first marathon which sounds great, although my current position is that I won't ever be competing at that distance. We'll see.

This morning's run was pleasant, and like yesterday, it seemed to go by quickly. With temperatures in the mid 30's, it's much colder than a week ago, but I fully appreciate this weather. This weekend is supposed to be nice and cool -- great for the NYC marathoners and great for those of us training for our next 10K.