The Joe Nation 2007 NYC Marathon Log

Sunday evening I was thinking of going out for a jog before dinner. Out
of nowhere, eighteen-year-old Nigel declares "We should play some
tennis." Well, OK, but (A) neither of us really knows how to play tennis,
and (B) it's hot and very muggy outside. So we grabbed some rackets
and tennis balls and off we went. At the HS courts we had a great time
running around like madmen, flailing away with our rackets. An hour or
so later, I was drenched. It was fun.

A shower felt good and dinner felt better. After dinner, Nigel was off to
meet some of his friends. This was good, because he wasn't around to
watch me groan as I rose from my chair. My back was killing me. I had
just used a whole bunch of muscles that don't don't get very well trained
by jogging and those muscles were letting me know how they felt about it.

Advil and a good night's sleep put me right.

Anyone wanna guess how much sympathy I got from The Lovely Bride?

Lovely Brides are statutorily permitted to offer sympathy only twice a year. Once when we are not listening (which is just about whenever) and a second time if there is a sufficiently large sale on shoes nearby.

"Oh, poor baby. I'll be back inna cupla hours. You rest."

---====-----

First class tonight: Interval training par excellance with Coach Shelly, me, two other guys and (Are you listening Kicky?) sixty five women, all between the ages of twenty two to thirty five. I am the oldest person in the class by fifteen years.

Nobody could tell. One mile intervals 8:27, 9:00, and 8:26.

Not bad for a ten minute miler.

Joe(NYC Half Marathon is Sunday. Can't wait.)Nation

Hot damn!
You did three one-mile intervals. How much recovery between them?

Inspired by Joe, I did 3 1-mile intervals. It was a challenging workout.

The longest interval distance I've done has been a quarter mile, so
keeping the intensity level high for a full mile was difficult. I found myself
starting off too fast but thinking "man, I'm really moving." At the half-
mile point I was thinking, "I may be going too fast". With a quarter mile
to go: "I'm going to die."

I ran the second mile interval more reasonably, but still relatively fast.
Strangely, the third mile was the best. I felt my mechanics were good
and my pace was consistent. My calves were screaming, though.

I did a long cool-down jog and felt OK by the time I got back to work.

The best part of last night was knowing that Coach Shellie was going to run about a nine minute mile or faster, all I had to do was try and stay within thirty seconds of her and the group of twenty or so with her. Everytime she passed a landmark I started counting hoping that I could get to the landmark by the count of 30.

As it turned out she was running an eight minute mile( They really try to tune you up right away.) Anybody staying with her all the way was booted out of Intermediate and up to Racing Class (I have a bit to go before that happens).

One thing I learned from watching her (even from a distance) is her controlled pace, strong but not as fast going up hill - the same level of effort, but not speed--- then rising to cruising speed on the flats and downhills and staying there, staying there, staying there.

More after tomorrow's class.

Joe(oh, and they stretch A LOT before they run)Nation

coach shellie tried to kill us last night.

More later.

Joe(can't move)Nation

(I'll bet it's in her job description.)

Good morning, Flash.

You do realize that keeping within 30 seconds of Coach Shellie only gives
you a 30-seconds-slower average pace for the first mile. After that, if
you maintained the same thirty-second distance, you were running at
her pace.

What do you think I am, a frigging physicist? Of course, you are right.

The cool part of this training is the people leading it are incredibly disciplined. Last night we ran 700 yard intervals with Coach Jackie. She lead the group on the out --(700) rest for two minutes (Back 700) rest for three minutes. She loped along at exactly three minutes and fifteen seconds for each of the four runs and when Coach Shellie said to slow it down about ten seconds, on the next run she ran it ten seconds slower.

I did well. I worked on controlling my gasping, er, breathing and stayed in the top ten or so of our group. Because everyone is at the same level it's easy to find someone to run with. I'm having the best time!!

I actually saw the Coach at the tee-shirt and number pick-up and we talked a bit and I told her that. I have to buy her book and do the reading.

Today. I am resting.
Tomorrow. I am resting.
Sunday: I am banging it all the way around the park, through Times Square and down the river.

Joe(sorry for the noise, folks)Nation

Dammit Jim, I'm a runner, not a physicist!

That's just amazing. How do they do that?

So how many intervals did you run in all?

I did four. Anyone doing today's race (Half Marathon) was told to cool it for the middle two, then we did the last two with the group, so I did four 700s in all. 3:30, 3:33, 3:27, 3:40, then we trotted the mile or so back to the Museum (remember where Cleo's Needle is?) broke up and I trotted, walked, lollygagged back across the park to the subway.

Off now to the Half. Lots of media this year and the weather looks perfect.

Joe(I just signed up for the Queens Half September 23 and the Long training run -18 miles- on 9/30)Nation

...waiting to hear Joe tell us about the half-marathon.
A little birdie told me that Joe's time was very good, indeed.

It was a BEAUTIFUL day and a wonderful race! One and quarter times around Central Park then down Seventh Ave to Times Square where the music was pumping and the people were jumping, then down the Hudson River to Battery Park.
So cool!
Here's the map: NYC Half Marathon

And you can watch it too : Channel Seven ABC

I set a new personal record for the 13.1 event, thank you very much. (this is my fourth Half Marathon and I've been faster in each one)

2:13:47 10:12 pace per mile.

There were incredible views of the thousands of runners cruising down through Times Square but I couldn't get my camera to come up on the phone. (I would have probably blown the chance for a new PR as well.) Ah well.

Here's the start:

See those two red signs being held above the crowd?? They are the pace markers for the 2:10 hour/minute pace. I tried to keep up with them the whole race and did until the last three miles or so, then I lost them and just banged along on my own to the finish. (They had cold Gatorade and pears! Pears are delicious after 13 miles.)

We went out for a lovely brunch and had Pomegranate Martinis and Steak and Eggs up in Ft Tryon Park at the New Leaf. Everyone, you must go and try this place. It's like you have left the city by a thousand miles.


Joe(now a nap)Nation

Good going!

Wow!

Done good, Joe!

Good going, JoeN!

I am now 7:31 faster at the 13.1 distance than I was last year (8/27).
I weight the same 199 pounds, it must be the lung power.

-----

I had this really bright idea. Last year it took forever to get home from Battery Park. The 1 train didn't arrive and didn't arrive and when it did 10,000 runners tried to get on. So...

this genius said
"I'll bring money and take a cab home."
So I did.
Bring money that is.

After I got my dry clothes off of the baggage truck (they let you send a bag of clothes to the finish line, isn't that nice?) I changed my shirt and pulled a pair of baggy shorts up over my soaking wet running shorts. (Very comfortable) I walked up to Wall Street, avoided the three hundred Japanese tourists trying to have their picture taken in front of the Bull.


(Not kidding or mis-counting) and I raised my arm to attract the attention of any passing cab. It was then I noticed that surrounding me were the same 10,000 runners from last year, only this time WITH their families, all trying to catch a taxi uptown.



The genius started walking.

He walked to a Burger King which was just opening for the day (10AM) ordered the largest Diet Coke (really HUGE) and then hiked to the World Trade Center to take the E train uptown.

I got home at 10:45, showered and slid back into the bed I had left at 4AM.

Joe(the Nations slept until 1pm and then went to brunch)Nation

Time management is becoming an issue for me.
I haven't scheduled time well to allow longer runs.

Gonna do some intervals today based on Joe's 700s.

It's shaping up to be hazy, hot and humid.

Joe~
Your muscles are better trained now than they were then.
And Coach Shellie has barely even started with you!

Same here with the H and H and H , ran two laps (1.7each) around the Reservoir tonight with the class of 66 women and three men. Actually got to talk to some of the runners tonight because we were just jogging along after this Sunday's half. They are a remarkable bunch, some have never run farther than nine miles, others did last year's Marathon. (quote: Nothing anyone tells you is what is going to happen)

Very sweet evening and the five miles plus (there was the mile out and the mile or so to the subway) pushed me over the 500 mile mark for the year.

Joe(Can I get a thousand?) Nation