My favorite thing about the race

Photo courtesy of Newsday

My favorite thing about yesterday's race wasn't the PR, the medal or the feeling of crossing the line after two hours of running. It was the fun of the day, being around people that I knew, who were sharing the same experience as me. Last year's half marathon was a singular effort. I traveled alone, ran the race alone and had little contact with anyone else until I'd finished the race.

I wasn't alone before or after the Half Marathon and it made a big difference for me. My family often joins me at races and it always feels special when they do. But a half marathon is a long time to wait on the sidelines for someone that you see only for a moment. I had my special after-race time with my wife and kids when I got home yesterday, and it was great.

Over the course of two hours and eight minutes, there's a lot of time to think. The field was crowded and that allowed me many opportunities to study the runners ahead of me. I'm always amused by what some people wear during a race. At other times, my mind drifted to non-race related things, and I found myself surprised to be passing mile markers so quickly. I spend a lot of time "in the zone" over that 13.1 miles.

Most importantly, I had fun while I ran yesterday's race, and that was completely opposite to my previous experience running the half. You train a lot and pay money to enter a race. If you don't enjoy it, you shouldn't do it. The LI Half was certainly worth the price of admission. In fact, it's much more than that.

Race Report: 2012 LI Half Marathon

Proud to earn the medal

LI Half Marathon: 13.1 miles -- 2:08:47 (PR)


This morning I ran my second half marathon and the results were (happily) better than the first. I finished the race almost 14 minutes faster than last year. All those weekends at Bethpage clearly paid off, and a healthy knee took care of the rest.  


My day started early and I was joined by my friend TC who came by my house at 6:00 AM. We did last minute preparations, like pinning bib numbers and packing our gear bags, before we headed over to Eisenhower Park. The roads were clear and we made good time. We quickly found parking spots and walked over to Charles Lindbergh Boulevard where the start of the race was being staged. In our excitement we forgot to take notice of where we'd parked. It was something we'd regret later.


Even though we were early, the crowd was already large. It quickly grew to thousands and, before we  knew it, race time had come. Last year there was a dearth of porto-pottys and this year it appeared as though they'd doubled the number. That made things much easier for people and prevented the need to use the grounds along the starting line as ad hoc facilities.


I located a spot in the 9:00 pace range and after some unexpected fireworks, the crowd was off. With over 5,000 runners on the move, we basically shuffled past the starting line. It was good that the race provided a starting line sensor that captured net times for runners, but for some odd reason "official" times are calculated from gun time. 

Consequently, my "official" pace was based on a time that was three minutes longer than my actual time.  It's a bad policy because it punishes people who follow the rules and line up at their pace range, rather than move to the front of the line. I really don't understand that. Since they record the runner's net times, why don't they use them?


But while this race is about performance, it's also about the experience. Knowing what to expect after running the race last year really helped me manage my expectations. The loop around Nassau Coliseum, that felt so long the last year, went by very quickly today. I couldn't believe how soon we reached the 5K mark and I appreciated my healthy knee when we passed the four mile sign. That was the moment of truth for me last year, when I debated whether to drop out to protect my knee.


I maintained a steady pace as I made my way up Post Road to Jericho Turnpike, stopping for the briefest time to grab water to wash down some GU Roctane I had put in my gel flask. That turned out to be a great way of managing fuel. I hit the 10K mark in just about an hour and I ran strongly through the next few miles. At one point, on Brush Hollow Road, a band was playing a fast tempo blues song that perfectly matched my cadence. Although I usually prefer silence when I run, I appreciated all the live bands that played for us today.


When I reached Wantagh Parkway I was still feeling good, but the sun had come out and the entrance to the Parkway was the steepest incline we'd yet encountered. I made it up fine and enjoyed some of the downhill sections, although one uphill section went on for a while. All along the race, I thought about the quote: "Run the mile you're in" and that helped me focus on the moment, instead of thinking about the miles ahead.


Once we hit Carmen Avenue I was pretty psyched because I knew that I would beat last year's time by a measurable amount. I was careful not to mistake the full marathon's 24 mile marker for a sign that we'd reached 12 miles (like I did last year) and when I saw the 11 mile marker, I knew I had enough in reserve to finish with some strength.


We entered the park and I actually needed to pass some runners on the narrow pathway. I saw my dentist up ahead and greeted him as I caught up. I yelled "Let's go!" and we picked up the pace. He was able to sustain it, but I needed to drop back to my previous pace after a couple of minutes. I knew when I was getting close to the end, and started to feel some excitement. My Garmin said 2:04 and I knew I had a good chance of breaking 2:10, which was my stretch goal.


The last quarter mile was hard and the crowd along the path was deep and LOUD. I saw the finish line and put in as much effort as I could until I crossed. I was in so much better shape than last year at the end. I saw TC, who had nailed the distance in 1:50, waiting near the line. We celebrated each other's performances and made our way slowly to the Finish Line Festival. The crowds were so thick that we decided to skip the festival and head to the UPS trucks to get our stowed gear.


We had no clue where to find our cars, so we walked around for over thirty minutes until we finally located the lot where we'd parked. I thought back to last year when I could barely handle the ten minute walk to my car after the race.


A foot soak with Dr. Bonner's peppermint soap helped a lot this afternoon and I'm going to take a couple of days off from running to recover. I am pleased and happy with today's race and I'm proud of my friends who also ran today. Is it realistic to think that I could break 2:00 in a half marathon some day? I'm not sure I can, but after today's race, I can considerate it a possibility.

Crossing the T's before crossing the line

Staying the course on Sunday

There's less than 20 hours left until tomorrow's race. The only things left to do are to pick up my race number at the Expo and then prepare my gear. Actually, there's a lot of detail to that part. If the weather follows current predictions, we will have great conditions at the start of the race. In that case, I've identified which shirt, shorts and shoes (Kinvara 3's) I'll use. Along with that are many other tasks (filling my gel flask, charging my Garmin, SPIbelt items, sunglasses, warm up clothes, gear bag, etc) that must be completed.

Last year I made a list that came in very handy in the morning, because I was able to quickly verify that I had everything I needed before I left. I'll do the same this year. I'm still undecided if I'll start the race with bottled water that I can throw in the trash when I'm done with it. Water stations serve that purpose so I'll likely just use them instead.

Yesterday I went over the race course with a colleague, BL, who is running the LI Half for the first time (his first half marathon in fact). He's only been running for a year but he's made great progress and puts in the hard work to train. BL frequently races and that will yield benefits for him tomorrow.

Another colleague, TC, will be coming by my house around 6:00 AM tomorrow and we'll head to the race together. TC ran a 1:55 half marathon on a tough course two weeks ago and he is planning to run the Brooklyn Half next weekend. I'll see him at the start but I'm guessing he'll beat me to the finish line.

Thoughts before my half marathon

I'll admit that I've assigned a lot more importance to this weekend's half marathon than is probably justified. After all, it's just a race, one of ten or eleven that I plan to run this year. It's not even my first half marathon. But the LI Half Marathon is important to me, because race performance is a reflection of all the work I've done to train for the event. Races validate conditioning and reveal shortcomings.

I think of Sunday's race two different ways. On one hand, I'll wake up early and think about the fact that I'll be racing a distance equal to traveling from mid-town Manhattan to Newark, NJ. Two-plus hours of constant motion -- running, not walking. On the other hand, I think about how almost every Saturday, for the past eight weeks, I've run a distance at Bethpage that was progressively longer than any run I've done this year. No stress on those runs. I just ran until I finished.

I hope I keep the latter point in mind as I line up for the 8:00 AM start on Sunday. I definitely want to do better than last year and, thankfully, I am not suffering the same knee pain that made the 2011 race especially difficult. I have a stretch goal time, a realistic goal time, an expected time, and last year's time. I'm curious to see what the timing clock says when I cross the finish line.

Sunday's biggest challenge

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I planned to conclude my half marathon training with a run around the neighborhood this morning, but the weather didn't cooperate. No problem really, I just wanted the pavement experience when I worked on my stride. Instead, I went for a fast run on the treadmill, pacing about 15 seconds per mile slower than 5K race pace for 20 minutes, and then stepping up to full race pace for the last five.

I didn't love starting as fast as I did this morning. My methodology for early morning treadmill runs has been to run slowly for the first five minutes, and then step up my speed every few minutes until the end. Today I just went for it, and after three minutes I wondered if I could sustain that pace for 22 more. I told myself that I run faster in races over longer distances and I'd get used to the speed. That's exactly what happened.

My experience last Saturday, when I began to feel negative about the run, was eventually corrected by the acknowledgement that most running difficulties (not counting injuries) are more mental than physical. I need to keep that in mind on Sunday when the going gets rough. And it will. I ran this course last year and I'm aware of certain mistakes I made. I hope to correct them this time. Nothing left to do now but rest and stretch. Three days and counting...

Alarm clock rest day

Snoozing through my workout

I'm sure it wasn't a subconscious decision, but I forgot to set my alarm this morning and missed my opportunity to run. I wasn't too disappointed to see that I'd slept 30 minutes late, because I know I don't get enough sleep during the week.

I have meticulously planned this week's workouts so that I'll be close to peaking before Sunday's race. However, I don't think that missing today's run will make too much of a difference. I was planning to do core exercises or some light upper body work tomorrow, but I may swap that for a final pre-race run. The major training has been completed. I'll know on Sunday how well I prepared.

Fast Draw water bottle is leaving me dry

Stingy valve

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I tend to over-plan for races, sweating the details a week or so ahead of time. I do this in order to minimize race day surprises. Detailed planning generally works out for the best when I do this, and the bigger the race, the more I plan. One area of focus this week is hydration. Should I carry water? Gatorade? Nuun electrolyte mix? Should I use water stations instead? After experimentation, I've decided to go with water + gels. That seems right.

Still, the method of water conveyance remains undecided. After my Amphipod handbottle began to leak, I replaced it with an Ultimate Direction Fast Draw unit. It has an insulated wrap, gel pocket and rubber bite valve. When I put it in my hand, it seemed enormous, but that also meant I would be able to carry five more ounces of water than I could with my Amphipod.

I thought I'd try a test run with the UD bottle, in experior, as I wound down my training this week. When filled, the bottle seemed even more massive, but I kept an open mind. I ran on the treadmill this morning because of the rain, and carrying this water bottle made things slightly more complicated. The weight of the bottle concerned me, and I began to wonder if I'd want to carry it for two-plus hours on Sunday.

About a minute into my run I took a sip of water. Actually, I tried to take a sip, but I couldn't draw much water from the opening. I became concerned thinking, "How hard should it be to get water from a device that's specifically made to deliver water?" The answer was very, very hard. I put the bottle aside for the remainder of the run and decided on the spot to use water stations, rather than carry water, during the race

When my wife came in to use the treadmill, I mentioned my trouble with the UD bottle and she promised to look at it. She tends to do better than me with mechanical challenges. Since then, she has figured out the method to get water from the bottle (not so easy, actually) but I am sticking with my decision. As I recall, there are numerous water stops along the way, so I'm not risking much by running bottle-free.

I'm disappointed with my experience this morning but this is why we test!

Kinvara 3, Spira Stinger faceoff

Kinvara 3's - a worthy successor to the original

Spira Stinger XLT's - light, fast and comfortable

With less than six days until the LI Half Marathon, I'm still undecided about which shoes to use for the race. Six months ago I wouldn't have hesitated to go with my Hattori's, but I haven't run with them much over the last two months. I'm not sure how those flat, non-cushioned shoes would feel after 13.1 hard miles, especially with my recent issues with mid-foot pain.

It has really come down to two shoes to wear - the Saucony Kinvara 3 and the Spira Stinger XLT. The Kinvara 3 is a minimal running shoe that I'd anticipated for a year, only to be initially disappointed when I finally ran in them. My issues, it turned out, were not with the shoes, but with the foot inside. An acute pain along my left mid-foot was actually a slight injury that has since healed.

The other candidate shoe, from Spira, has been a delightful surprise. I agreed to evaluate this model on Runner's Tech Review, thinking they were the type of gimmicky running shoes I often lampoon. It turns out that the Spiras are one of the most comfortable and runnable lightweight shoes I've ever encountered. As far as their promise of slicing 15 seconds per mile off my pace, I'm not so sure I'm seeing that benefit. But the Stingers have carried me well over many 8+ mile runs.

I wore both pairs on my runs this past weekend and I'm definitely leaning toward the Kinvaras. While the Spiras have their energetic "Waveform" technology, the Kinvara 3's feel like my original Kinvaras, the highest compliment I can give to a running shoe. Saturday's 12 miler was grueling, but my feet felt great. The light weight and low platform of the Kinvara 3's have almost convinced me to go that way. Almost.

Ultimate booster may solve my gel problem

Today's run (street): 3.9 miles

4 ounces of energy

My new Ultimate Direction water bottle has arrived, and it came with a small gel flask (with a bite valve) that might fit into the pocket of the carrier. If it does, I may fill this bottle with G2 01 Prime, which would be easier to manage than a gel during the half marathon. Both bottles are in the dishwasher right now. I'll take the Fast Draw out on my next run to see how it feels in my hand.

I followed yesterday's long run with an almost-four miler this morning. I tried to keep my pace easy because I was out there for recovery, but my natural competitiveness prompted me to push a little harder over the first two miles. I finally settled down and ran slower, but I'll admit that it was more due to fatigue than anything else. I was definitely wiped out by the end.

Whenever I struggle on a run as short as this, I begin to question my stamina. Along the way, I realized that I was following a 12 mile workout with very little rest. It made perfect sense to feel tired. I'm officially on my taper and I hope to restore my energy level throughout the week. I'll rest on Monday, run on Tuesday, and refrain from running again until Sunday's race. I plan to do some strength training and core work between Wednesday and Saturday. One week to go. I hope I'm ready.

Psychological struggles on the Bethpage trail

Six down and six up

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 12 miles

Unless you are an elite runner, or someone who covers 70 training miles a week, 12 miles is a long distance to run. It's 92% of a half marathon and it felt very much like a full marathon this morning. I know a good number of people who run marathons and half marathons, and I am privately amazed by their confident view of these races. To me, a half marathon is an "Event" that takes many weeks of tough training and still guarantees to beat me to a pulp. My friends certainly give their training its due, but they don't seem as intimidated by the challenge.

It was a chilly 34 degrees when I started this morning's run at Bethpage and I decided to start with a lap around the large parking lot before reaching the main trail. I thought that front loading some distance would give me a psychological edge, making my long miles on the trail seem a little shorter. Unfortunately I miscalculated a little and paid for it at the end.

I ran without water because my Amphipod bottle is not usable and my Ultimate Direction bottle had not arrived. I could have run with bottled water but I decided to go without, rather than deal with the need to carry a bottle without a hand grip. I took along a GU gel in case I needed a boost later in my run. I ultimately chose not to take it because I didn't want to consume it without water.

My extra distance at the beginning of my run provided the surprise of reaching the 4 mile point earlier than I expected. My milestone for that distance is a point just south of the Southern State overpass near the Linden Street crossing. Before long, I was running in the Massapequa Preserve where I planned my turnaround after six miles. That was a mistake.

Bethpage is a rolling trail that does a good job of torturing me at certain points in my run. There are some hills to manage during the first few miles, but it isn't until I reach the Southern State overpass where it becomes hard. The section is steep, but not too long, and I get over it fine. The problem is knowing that I'll soon face it coming back, the northbound section being longer, with two difficult inclines.

I like the Massapequa Preserve because the path is macadam, not concrete, and everyone on that section of the trail seems to be friendly and smiling. I cruised along well but I did begin to feel fatigue as I approached the six mile mark. I considered having the GU, but I didn't want to deal with the stickiness without water to wash it down. That won't be the case for the Half where I'll run with water or take GU at a water station.

Once I cleared the Southern State I tried to feel good that I wouldn't have to deal with big hills for a couple of miles. For some reason I began feeling down and was questioning why I was subjecting myself to this long boring run. I knew even then that much of running is psychological and that I needed to get my head straight if I was to cover the next five miles without going insane.

I did recover from that malaise, but my boredom was soon replaced by dread. I was facing the two big hills near the end and wasn't feeling very strong. I again considered taking my gel but decided that I'd almost be finished with my run by the time I felt any effect from it. As I approached the Quaker Meetinghouse Rd. crossing, I seriously considered taking a break. The wooden bench looked tempting but, when I reached it, I just kept going.

The first of the two dreaded hills was easier to handle than I'd expected, though I knew I was running pretty slowly. Another runner passed me and disappeared into the distance and I cringed before looking at my Garmin to check my pace. The last big hill was harder than expected, but I knew once I passed it I'd soon be done.

Wrong!

In my decision to turn around at six miles, I failed to consider that I'd run about half a mile prior to starting on the bike trail. That meant that, by the time I reached the parking lot, I'd only covered 11.5 miles. In order to reach my 12 mile goal I needed to circle the entire lot. While the parking lot is flat, my mind was set to come off the trail and trot over to my car, stop the Garmin and rest. Instead I had to make that last loop, trudging through final half mile as I wistfully viewed my waiting car.

I was beat up pretty badly, but I succeeded in reaching all my training goals for next weekend's race. I will definitely take gels when I fatigue and stop at the water stations or carry my own hydration. Next Sunday will be 1.1 miles more than I covered today. I know it will be hard, but at least the LI Half race course doesn't have Bethpage's hills. That's what I kept telling myself this morning.

Finding my ultimate direction

Ultimate Direction Fastdraw Extreme

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

It rained overnight so I finished my work week training this morning with a treadmill run. I no longer despise the treadmill, but I don't particularly like it either. What's good about the treadmill is the control that it provides. I can better manage my schedule, because it takes half the time to prepare for a treadmill run compared to an outdoor run. Running outside often requires more layers, along with the extra gear like a reflective vest and headlamp.

The treadmill also allows me to lock into a fixed pace or set an incline at will, and I never have to worry about running out of time when I'm half a mile from my house. On the other hand, running indoors provides little visual or atmospheric stimulation. Inside and outside running both have their pros and cons, but I still prefer to run outdoors when I have that option.

I'll be going out for my last long base run tomorrow and I'm hoping that I have a better experience than last week, when I only covered 9 miles. I ordered an Ultimate Direction water bottle after researching opinions on the web. This model has an insulated wrap and, supposedly, a better designed valve on the top. I won't be able to test it until it's delivered next Tuesday. I'll need to decide whether to go with it, or whether to run without a bottle.

Emerging Runner meets emerging technology at MIT

Fascinating group at the Media Lab this week

Tuesday's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles
Thursday's run (street): 2.5 miles

I'm back to NYC after three days in Cambridge. Normally I'd have run my favorite loop along the Charles River and over to Boston and back, but my schedule at the Media Lab was just too tight. That, plus the early morning weather was chilly and raw and I only packed running shorts and short sleeve jerseys. The events at MIT were great, and I got to rub shoulders with people like Peter Gabriel and Reid Hoffman, among other high profile artists and techno-geeks. But I did miss the experience of crossing the Longfellow Bridge at sunrise.

Virtual meets physical

There wasn't much new stuff that related to running, but I did see a couple of interesting projects that connected physiology to technology. One demo showed a way to train or do physical therapy using an animated virtual trainer. The subject performs tasks like kicking a ball towards a target. The closer the ball comes to the designated spot, the better they have performed the movement.

Much more than a fashion statement

Another technology that caught my eye came out of the Affective Computing Lab. It's called the WristQue, a sensing device that goes far beyond the capabilities of wrist-based devices like the Nike Sports band and the MOTO wristband. It captures the usual metrics as well as bio-indicators like galvanic response. It can even respond to your environment, changing ambient lighting as you move through an area. Cool!

I was pleased with my treadmill run on Tuesday morning. I seem to be able to sustain much better paces on Life Fitness treadmills than on my home unit. I covered 3.1 miles under 9:00/mile and felt strong throughout the session.

Wednesday morning was a washout, I didn't have the time to run (plus I had a pounding headache) in the morning. Today I got outside and covered my route in around my usual time. I was careful to notice my form and how I felt. I'm hoping that I can maintain a credible pace over 12 miles this weekend, my last long run prior to the LI Half. I'm still undecided on which running shoes to use for the upcoming race.

It's been a very busy week and it's only Thursday! Tomorrow morning I'll go out again and finish my training program this weekend, as I start my taper.