Every child gets a trophy

Proud to be a participant

There's a lot of talk these days about how parents reinforce mediocrity by rewarding children for doing nothing more than participating in a sporting event. The argument I hear is that children will develop unrealistic expectations about the level of effort required to achieve a real accomplishment. Personally, I have no problem giving a child a trophy for participation, especially in sports, where having an active kid is the real reward. I'm guessing that parents who reward simple participation in sports are likely more focused on practical things, like academics.

I say this because, in every race I've run, only three people get to the podium and the rest (age group winners excluded) get (at best) finisher medals. Actually, most of the time your finisher medal is your race bib and that's why every race number that I've worn is tacked up on a bulletin board in my office. Saturday's Cow Harbor number makes it an even 20 and I'm inspired by each of them every day. With the exception of one race where I came in second in my division, I've been nothing more than a "finisher."

Does it it bother me that this collection represents mere participation? Not at all. In racing, to participate is to accomplish. Just like 19 times before, I earned that trophy on Saturday.

What's next after Cow Harbor?

Unlike most races, the Cow Harbor 10K always happens on a Saturday which makes the weekend seem extra long. Last year I did an easy recovery run the next day and eased back into my normal routine with a  rest day on Monday. I usually get one day of respite after races or long distance runs and don't feel the muscle soreness in my legs until the following day. That isn't the case today though. My calves feel extremely tight and the thought of doing a run today, even an easy one, is out of the question. In fact, I'll probably take another rest day tomorrow and resume my normal running schedule on Tuesday.

Speaking of schedules, I'm trying to plan the rest of my races for the year. Last year I went from Cow Harbor in September to two races in November (with no race in October). My favorite distance is 10K, but there aren't nearly as many 10K's to choose from as there are 5K races. The Huntington (NY) Big 8 10K race is on October 22nd, but I may have a scheduling issue that weekend.

If I can't race on 10/22 then I may run a 5K in October instead and run Hope for the Warriors and the Long Beach Turkey trot (both 10k's) in November. I've never run a race in December, but I'd consider it. I'll check the calendar to see what's going on. Suggestions are welcomed!

Race report: 2011 Cow Harbor 10K

Hooray, I beat my predicted finish time!

Today's run (Great Cow Harbor 10K): 6.2 miles - 9:13 pace

The 34st running of the Great Cow Harbor 10K was a great experience and I was thrilled to have beaten last year's time by three minutes and 43 seconds. But as great as it was to improve on finish time, the story of the day (for me) was running the race feeling strong the entire way through. This experience, unlike last year when I was tunnel-visioned toward just finishing, allowed me the opportunity to take in the details that make this such a great race.

Cow Harbor actually started for me last night with numbers pick-up, when I did the long drive to the Laurel Avenue school where the race begins. I arrived earlier than last year and found parking right away. As I walked the grounds of the school and went in to pick up my race bib, I was reminded again of the scale of this event. I had predicted a finish time of 57:30 and was surprised to see that I was assigned an 8000 series number that meant I would be starting in the 9th Wave.

Last year my number was in the 11000 series and I started in the 12th Wave. I worried that I had overestimated my performance potential but I figured, at worst, that my Wave mates would leave me in the dust. Happily, that wasn't the case.

I headed to Northport this morning at about 6:30 AM and arrived at Northport HS at 7:00. I took one of the shuttle buses that delivers runners close to the starting area. I decided not to carry a bag (although they do have UPS trucks that transport gear from the start to the finish area) so I left my extra layers, smartphone and towel in my car. I made my way indoors because the temperature, helpfully cool during the race, was a little too chilly for standing around.

Many others had the same thought and as I looked around I noticed many very fit looking runners with race numbers starting with 9, 10, 11 and on. Again I worried that I'd planned incorrectly. I chatted with a few other runners to pass the time and around 8:20 I made my way to the Wave area. I ran into Paul and Beth who were standing nearby, getting ready to move into position. Paul reminded me to subtract nine minutes from the quoted split times, which was a good thing to know. We bade each other good luck and I'm guessing that they both did well today.

I saw Brian a few rows ahead of me but I couldn't get his attention. I thought I'd catch up to Brian on Scudder Avenue but he took off faster than I was willing to run. I held my speed in check for the first mile, resisting the temptation to fly down the mostly downhill section. My split on mile 1 was 8:53 - brisk but not too fast. Last year I was feeling draggy almost from the start but this morning I felt like a V-8 with a tank full of gas. I prepared myself for the rise near the end of Woodbine and the big hill on James Street.

I was stunned by how quickly we'd passed through the cheering crowds by the harbor even though the running pack had yet to thin out in a noticeable way. I paced myself behind four giant bananas who were having a great time running the race, and before I knew it, I was taking my first steps onto Widow Hill. I knew from last year to be wary of hill walkers who stay in the middle of the road and obstruct those who are running. I didn't love the uphill effort but I felt far stronger through that span than I did last year.

At the top of the hill I focused on my breathing and used the more level roadway to recover my aerobic rhythm. It took a few minutes, but soon I was back in race mode. I passed mile three feeling remarkably good. I remembered that at the three mile point last year I was desperate for water and feeling very weak from the heat and humidity. The dry, cool weather helped greatly today and I'd brought a hand bottle with a mix of G2 and water to ensure ready hydration.

Near mile 4 the course goes steadily uphill along Waterside Drive. I moved along well, focusing on form, breathing and stride and I still felt strong through mile 5. Shortly after this split we turned toward Main Street and sped up Pumpernickel Hill which, on balance, is far less intimidating than the James Street monster. The top of this hill signals the beginning of the end and the start of a mostly downhill stretch leading to the finish line.

Usually at this point in a race (certainly the case at last year's Cow Harbor) I'm in survival mode, just holding on until the end. When I began the descent towards the finish I said to myself, "All it takes is all you got" and called upon whatever I had left. I came through the finish in 57:12 feeling great about the race I'd run.

I'm really pleased that this year I've achieved PB times on the NHP 8K, the Dirty Sock 10K and, today, the Great Cow Harbor 10K. The weather certainly helped, but I feel really good about my margin of improvement. I ran into Brian at the post-race festival and he was happy to have made it through another Cow Harbor race.

This a great race and spectator event, and with so many elite runners on the course, it feels special to participate. The race volunteers are universally kind and patient and the organizers don't miss a trick. I guess after 34 years they've figured out how to make it all work. Can't wait to do it next year.

Countdown to Cow Harbor

Hills are larger than they appear

It's almost time for the Great Cow Harbor 10K, a 6.2 mile race that can feel a lot longer than that. Besides regularly tackling the hilly sections at Bethpage over the last six weeks, I probably haven't done enough to prepare for James Street, AKA, "Widow Hill." That hill, and the long time spent going uphill on Waterside Drive, make this a challenging event. The saving grace may be that temperatures are predicted to be in the low 50's at start time, with the humidity percentage in the 50-60% range. That contrasts to last year when the heat and humidity were so high that seven people were taken away by ambulance due to dehydration issues.

Tonight I need to go to Northport to pick up my race bib. The race volunteers do a great job handling the 5,000+ registrants, but it's a nightmare to find a place to park and it's tough getting through downtown Northport on a Friday night. I look forward to seeing some of the elite and semi-elite runners who participate in this high profile race. Deena Kastor will be racing on the same course as me!

I'll file a full report tomorrow after the race. It's less than 24 hours from the start. I hope I'm ready.

Tough end to my taper

Today's run (street) 2.25 miles

I had planned today's run, my last before Cow Harbor, to be an easy workout that affirmed my readiness for the race on Saturday. I wore my Brooks GTS-10's to protect my Achilles and looked forward to a pleasant run. It didn't quite go as planned.

I double checked that the Garmin was recording properly as I took my first steps toward the road. No problems there. Instead of my expected slow but rolling gait, my stride felt off balance and I experienced some pain in my left shin. My legs felt heavy and my energy level was half of what it was yesterday. I considered stopping and returning home but decided to tough it out. My plan was to run slow and that wasn't going to change.

I'm not sure why I was feeling off today, but it was both physical and mental. I've had a busy week in the office and that continues today, so perhaps it's fatigue as much as anything else. I made it through my run though I changed the route and covered less distance than usual. I felt the workout after all and I'm hoping that whatever afflicted me this morning will be gone by Saturday morning.