Friday, May 23, 2014

Breathing and Running: What California Chrome and I Already Know

Wearing a strip while in Beijing, 2008 Summer Olympics
California Chrome and I have three things in common. One, we are both originally from California. Two, we both run a lot. Three, we both rely on nasal strips to reach our finish lines.

And that's all the comparisons, because California Chrome is a lot faster.

I am serious about the nasal strips and about the importance of breathing in running. If you look closely at my raceday pics, you can see that I brought a familiar companion along for my milestone 100th race last Saturday at the Brooklyn Half: my usual clear, small-medium Breathe Right Strip. The first thing I do before any run is wash my nose area thoroughly with a rag and soap to make sure there is no facial oil, and then I apply the strip on the bridge of my nose.

California Chrome wearing a nasal strip
The first time I did this was in early 2007 for a run around Central Park, and I realized that I shaved about 30 percent of my time spent on the 10K loop. The big difference I noticed was not when I put the strip ON, but when I took it OFF; I gasped for air when I removed it toward the end of my run. The increased oxygen made all the difference in the world for me. There have to be many others who could benefit as well. I am amused by the conclusion by the New York State Racing Association that said "Equine nasal strips do not enhance equine performance..." California Chrome's handlers know the real story. They definitely help.

On the most humid days, the strip will eventually peel, but by scrubbing the area beforehand you minimize the chance of slippage later. It has been a solid gear item for me through 100 races.

Breathing is of vital importance in running, and you perhaps have seen considerable focus on the science of breathing lately within running journals. Competitor and Men's Health Mag each have articles the past month quoting Budd Coates, longtime running coach, four-time Olympic Trials qualifier, and author of Running on Air, a training manual on breathing and running. And you can read and watch for yourself as Coates gives advice such as this at Runners World in an adaptation of his Rodale book:
Let's start with a 5-count or 3:2 pattern of rhythmic breathing, which will apply to most of your running. Inhale for three steps and exhale for two. Practice first on the floor:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hand on your belly and make sure that you are belly breathing.
3. Breathe through your nose and your mouth.
4. Inhale to the count of 3 and exhale to the count of 2. You might count it this way: "in-2-3," "out-2," "in-2-3," "out-2," and so forth.
5. Concentrate on a continuous breath as you inhale over the 3 counts and a continuous breath as you exhale.
6. Once you become comfortable with the inhale/exhale pattern, add foot taps to mimic walking steps.
When you feel confident that you have the 3:2 pattern down, take it for a walk. Inhale for three steps, exhale for two, inhale for three steps, exhale for two. Finally, of course, try out your rhythmic breathing on a run—inhaling for three footstrikes and exhaling for two. A few key points: Inhale and exhale smoothly and continuously through both your nose and mouth at the same time. If it seems difficult to inhale over the full three strides, either inhale more gradually or pick up your pace. And lastly, do not listen to music while learning to breathe rhythmically. The beats of the music will confuse the heck out of you.
Wearing nasal strip for 2014 Brooklyn Half
I am trying to master that 3:2 breathing pattern, and I did pretty poorly during the second half of the Brooklyn Half. But I am going to work harder at it. In addition to being surrounded by this attention to breathing lately, I recently had an unreal experience in a New York City taxi that was driven by a yogi from India. He was playing sitar music as I got into his taxi, and I told him that I enjoyed it and to feel free to turn it back up. That led into a long conversation about breathing. He told me that breathing is the secret to my running, and that breathing is the secret to life in general.

We take our breathing for granted 99.9 percent of our lives. The miracle is happening as you read this and your lungs expand with each inhale and then settle with each exhale. Take a very deep cleansing breath in through your nose right now and close your eyes, your back straight wherever you are. Then slowly exhale. Feel how amazing your body is. Now imagine you are focusing the same way when you are running.

I suggest you read those articles above and give thought to how you breathe. I can do a better job at it and I believe it will lower my times further. For me, the Breathe-Right Strip always has been an example of giving myself a better chance of maximizing my flow of oxygen into my lungs and through my bloodstream. I am glad to see that California Chrome will be allowed to wear his nasal strip at Belmont for a Triple Crown bid, and I know that the bottom line is getting as much air in and out as possible. Said Coates:

"You want as much in and out as you can, as easily as possible."

How do YOU breathe while you run?


Monday, May 19, 2014

100th Race: Brooklyn Half Recap

Follow @Marathoner
You know how there is an unwritten rule on how long you can wear your medal after a race? Well, the same thing applies to finishing your 100th race. I am going to savor this one just a little while longer than I normally would, feel it, and thank a lot of people for their help before I move past the 2014 Brooklyn Half.

In no particular order . . .

Thank you to this blog's readers, as we have almost reached 100,000 page views -- about a thousand for each race. I try to read as many other running blogs as I can and it means everything to know others take the time to look at this one.

Thank you to Melinda and my friends at ASICS. They shipped me a box of gear to help me celebrate my 100th race in style at the 2014 Brooklyn Half Marathon. I started in ASICS and I stay in ASICS.







Thank you to the weather. There were 25,587 finishers and I hope every one one of them said a special thanks for our conditions on Saturday. A powerful storm system had canceled the Yankees' game the night before and pounded our roof through the entire night. Then it stopped raining around sunrise and what was left behind was the most glorious day in late spring a runner could imagine. Here are shots of the Brooklyn Museum start at Prospect Park and the finish on the Coney Island Boardwalk.





Thank you to my new Garmin 220 for the help maintaining my pace, a first for me in my sixth Brooklyn Half. My splits were :31:04 for 5K, 1:06:38 for 10K, 1:41:33 for 15K and 2:18:14 for 20K. My finish time of 2:25:57 represented a course PR for the Brooklyn Half. I'm well in the back of the pack as usual, but to quote the Black Eyed Peas: "The race is not for the swift...but who really can take control of it."

Here are my Garmin splits. It recorded a slightly longer distance and thus a minute longer, but it helps to see my splits and match it against elevation and so forth. I can see where I wear down a little in the long homestretch but I was able to finish with two straight negative splits!

Split
Time
Distance
Avg Pace
Summary2:26:05.313.2811:00
19:35.61.009:36
210:23.11.0010:23
39:40.21.009:40
410:45.41.0010:45
511:28.21.0011:28
611:44.61.0011:45
710:08.21.0010:08
811:35.61.0011:35
910:48.51.0010:48
1011:28.11.0011:28
1112:08.71.0012:09
1211:47.71.0011:48
1311:25.31.0011:25
143:06.10.2811:01



Thank you to Coach Andrew Kastor. His mantra of "Everything Forward" was someone I said to myself every time my mind wanted to wander or worry. I would look down at my body and identify every body part that was moving forward -- shoulders, knees, thighs, stomach, penis, ankles, shadow, shoes...each time I did that another minute or so ticked by and I was closer to the end of that mile. Most importantly, it made me think about leaning forward with my form -- like Meb did in winning the Boston Marathon.

Thank you to the Big Cats Running Team. This is the MySpace group I joined at the start of 2007 after I began running. It was national and we each had to pick the name of a big cat species (no duplicates) to enter. Most common ones were taken then, so I chose Monster Cat. I became known as Monster Cat to many other runners. For my 100th race, I went back to that identity with my stripes and roar, and it was great to be reunited in this race with Big Cat runners Roxy (below) and George (in Mile 8).



. . . you remember MySpace . . .



Thanks to Brooklyn, to Coney Island and specifically to Nathan's Famous. We stood in line for close to an hour after the race just for the sake of hot dogs, because hello it is Coney Island and they are worth it. The soles of my feet ached in doing so but I was wearing cushiony ASICS GEL-Cumulus 16s so they were up to it.



When I finally got to the front of one of the many lines, I had Lisa snap a pic to show I had another big finish. I got two chili cheese dogs, fries and a large Blue Moon. (Funny side story: Just as I reached the front of that line, I noticed some guy sidle up alongside our line and tell the woman with a baby behind me that he was going to pay for her whole meal if she would get him a couple of dogs and a drink. She said yes so he had to wait like 60 seconds in line.) We then camped out on the sand and enjoyed.





Thanks to NYRR for the opportunity to race year-round. I have averaged about a dozen races a year. Thanks especially to Mary Wittenberg for her leadership and relating to runners.

And most of all, thanks to my family. To my three sons Matthew, Benjamin and Joshua, because when I started running after my Dad passed away in 2006, I told myself I was going to live as long as possible and set a good example for my sons. Thanks to my beautiful wife Lisa for always being so supportive. Thanks to my stepdaughter Rachel, for encouraging me with my nutrition and fitness and for taking up running as well. Thanks Pennstress the McThinstress and Liam the Mango Tickler for joining the 100 bash, and to the hippie who sold me a Sinatra album on the boardwalk though I have no turntable. Dream the Impossible Dream forever.

On this perfect day, Lisa and I even munched on mango sticks. Ever tried those? Yum.



Here's to the next 100. Amazing things keep happening when you just run.



PLEASE ALSO FEEL FREE TO READ:


How many races have YOU run?

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

100 Races & 50 Lessons Along The Way

As I celebrate my 100th race (#rundred) this Saturday at the Brooklyn Half, I am going to gradually add some thoughts here about the many little lessons I have learned along the way since I quit smoking on 12/1/06 and started running. Here are 50 in case any of them help. Feel free to add yours.

1. The more you run, the faster you get.

2. You can accomplish anything in life if you do this.

3. Don't worry about post-race letdowns and temporary loss of purpose. It is natural. You may run for a loved one and PR and pour everything in your being into that race, and then feel a little empty in the days and weeks after. But just stay light of heart. Help others, take the opportunity to do yardwork or new things. Sign up for another scary marathoner or half. Schedule a destination race. Things out of your control will happen along the way so just take a deep breath and don't worry.

4. Relax your arms and lean slightly forward over your heels. Think about it often every mile.

5. Wash your running gear in cold water on delicate, and then hang up everything and lay socks flat to dry. Never use a dryer on your running gear. I only hand-washed in a kitchen sink my first couple of years, but gradually I realized that delicate cycle on wash is fine. I learned a hard lesson when I developed a huge blister on the ball of my foot for the last 10 miles of the 2010 Miami Marathon, due to a raised seam caused by drying a pair of socks in a dryer. Don't waste your money on that crappy and smelly sport-wash, either. Just regular Tide.

6. Drink water constantly. On race week, a water bottle should be an extension of your arm.

7. Wear the right shoes, and for me those are neutral ASICS. Don't experiment too much unless you like injuries, and always get running shoes a half-size longer than your usual shoes. No exception. Get the video gait analysis, but don't forget to have someone check your arches -- overlooked by too many.

8. Seize the moment. How do you think I got the @marathoner account on Twitter? Go after it early.

9. Be proud and loud. Support others and let others support you. I joined the Big Cat Runners Group on myspace before everything went to FB & TW & IG, and it made all the difference in the world backing each other. It still does. Use #runchat. Put a 26.2 sticker on your car.

10. You are inspiring someone. If that is just one person, then that is important enough. I have fed off of hearing from people I never knew that they were inspired to run, and one such example was a runner who I met in the 2008 Knickerbocker 60K ultra at Central Park. He had been a commenter on  my blog, and he was so moved to run that he started running ultras as well. It was such a pleasure to meet him and run with him.

11. Running is 80% mental, 10% mileage and 10% nutrition.

12. Carry those little salt packets you get at restaurants, and bring along salty pretzels and crunch them up. Salt = No Cramps.

13. I run better in the rain than in anything. I am focused and determined, less distracted. And it doesn't matter because I am sweating through my tech gear anyway, so who cares?

14. Find a good mantra for every race. Right now I'm going with "Everything Forward" thanks to Coach Andrew Kastor.

15. Eat oatmeal.

16. You are adding years to your life. I know that I have added a good five to 10 since I changed from smoker to runner in 2006. I have perfectly clean lungs and I am strong.

17. Everything about you looks better, from your hair to your toes. Well, OK, not your toes.

18. Ask a Kenyan some questions. After a New York Road Runners race several years ago, I approached the winner who had just come off the awards stand in the postrace festival. "Is there any advice you can give someone like me who is trying to get better as a runner?" I asked him. He said: "Practice hard and race easy." It reinforced the commitment that I needed at that time to my solitary mileage, and his point was that you're prepared so it should be natural running during the big day.

19. Finish times are overrated. Finishing is what matters.

20. Unless you are headed for the Olympics, don't be over-concerned with your times. If you spend your life in BQ stress mode, re-evaluate. I see it all the time. Be balanced in life. My marathon finishes are typically over 5 hours, and ASICS approached me to run for them. Running companies are looking to expand their reach through social media, and your ability to blog is not completely ancillary to your ability to run.

21. Finishing is not only important in running, but in all things in life. As you finish incredible hard endurance races, you realize that you can finish other things as well.

22. You have energy for your whole day. You excel in the workplace. You are creative. You are a machine.

23. You can eat cupcakes because you are a fat-burning factory smokestack that is unstoppable.

24. Be positive and not a pet-peever. There have been times when I wanted to rant about busted running etiquette that I have encountered, but I almost always just move on. Running is a positive condition of life. Not a negative one. I don't need your negativity in my world and you don't need mine, so let's be positive.

25. Running gives you courage and confidence. It makes you adventurous, like Teddy Roosevelt in the Amazon or Captain Cook. I am talking that adventurous. It led me to definitely "date up" and I met Lisa in NYC and proposed to her at the finish line of the New Jersey Marathon and we bought a house and are living happily ever after.

26. Never look at the crest of a hill. Pull the bill of your cap down just enough so you only see a little in front of you, enough to run safely. Count backwards from 100.

27. Don't let yourself think you are hot if it is a hot race. I learned that from Ryan Hall the morning before the ASICS LA Marathon. He said he never lets himself think he is hot while running, because once he gives in he will keep repeating that he is hot. Apply that to other conditions as well.

28. Live in the mile you're in. When running a marathon, don't think of the big picture and how many miles to go. Focus on that mile you are in and make the most of it, savor it, because there is no going back. During the ASICS LA Marathon in March, I spent several blocks around mile 11 actually running on top of the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and it is all I thought about for that stretch.

29. Easier on your legs to pound packed-dirt paths than pavement. Give your legs that break when you can. When training at Central Park, I usually run the bridle path instead of the standard 6.2 pavement loop.

30. Blog. The best thing about it is the archived chronicles of your own running that you can refer back to later in your running days. It comes in really handy, as it is for me now with No. 100.

31. Consider a hill as a chance to use other muscles for the first time in a race. I learned this from Deena Kastor in training for the 2014 ASICS LA Marathon. I am still trying to master this one, but anything she says is gold so I would listen, too!

32. Train with music and race with nature. I remember the widespread fear so many race organizers had of the new iPod craze in 2007. Where was this going? We have proven the ability to mix running and music. Just make sure you don't miss the beauty of a marathon or a half, which is your support and your surroundings. I wear my music for marathons only to fill in solitude stretches with jams.

33. During a taper, be aware of your caloric intake, because with the reduced mileage you don't want to gain too much weight before a race. Adding a pound or two is natural and good. See my 5 Questions With Michelle Lovitt, the ASICS Fitness Expert.

34. Body Glide. I had a bloody nipple during the hot 2007 Oklahoma City Half before I knew what Body Glide was, and I've experienced some awful chafing in other runs. The only time I have a problem is when I forget Body Glide.

35. Stretch. I don't stretch as much as I used to, but I still like to stretch after my first mile of a training run, when I'm heated up. Then I try to do some cooldown stretching afterwards. Thoughts have changed a lot on stretching since I started running. For me, it's still important.

36. Join your local running club. I was very fortunate to have New York Road Runners in my immediate world, and I joined the day I bought my first box of ASICS. I have renewed my membership each year and we have expanded it to a family membership and this year added Rachel as a third member. I run at least nine scored races with one volunteer assignment each year, to qualify for guaranteed entry into the next year's TCS New York City Marathon, because you don't want to rely on the lottery.

37. Gu. For me it is always Plain, Chocolate Outrage, Vanilla or Espresso.

38. It's OK to walk if you have to. It's about finishing. My goal at NYRR races has always been "station to station" - run to the fluid station, walk the length of it as I sip, and then resume running. There are times when I don't want to stop my flow because I don't want my heart rate to drop, and I rarely stop at a final fluid station because there is no chance for your body to absorb the water before you finish anyway.

39. From spring through fall, there is no need to bring liquids with you to Central Park. I know where every water fountain is along the way, just as I know where every bathroom is. And if I want a Gatorade, I'll stop at one of the many vendor trucks next to the running path and get one. Run free there, don't carry!

40. Do hill repeats. They really make you strong and fast. My best races have been after hill repeats.

41. There is no such thing as weather. We just went through the most brutal winter I ever could imagine in New York, but a trip to Paragon Sports in the city to buy an ASICS Storm Shelter jacket immediately took care of a big issue so that I could run Central Park in a freezing drizzle and overcome anything.

42. Write your name in magic marker on your arms or somewhere during a marathon so spectators can shout your name as you move by them. It can be a huge pick-me-up.

43. Travel is more fun. Three words: MARATHON DE PARIS.

44. You get to help others. Someone you know is fundraising right now. Our NYRR events often are helping an important cause, so you know your race entry fee is going somewhere meaningful.

45. Because pale yellow pee.

46. Use common sense when running near automobiles. They will always win any collision, and you have no way to control whether they are texting or otherwise distracted. We have seen tragedy when there was nothing else a runner (Meg) could do. Accidents are happening too often now. Wear reflective gear, and bottom line is don't take chances and put your life in the hands of a random bad driver.

47. Let yourself be coached. I was amazed by what I learned from Coach Kastor this past winter. You might want to try out the new Pear Sports app, too, as Coach Kastor and other experts help you train on that.

48. Choose "No Bag Check" if you are running the TCS New York City Marathon. I have done it both ways, and the new feature of no bag check is far more enjoyable. You get a comfy parka at the finish line and you don't have to herd like cattle for a bottleneck mile in the cold to get to a baggage truck.

49. Watch "Spirit of the Marathon."

50. Visualize your whole race at least once and ideally more. I love to watch the youtube videos where someone has done a fast-motion virtual tour of the entire race course, whether it's New York's five boroughs or the myriad neighborhood turns through Miami. Then it is muscle memory when you run. And you just power your way through the course and grab the bling and hold your head up proudly and be happy your are running.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Lookdown Survey Video: ASICS Dominates The Field

I have read in the past that one out of every two pair of shoes in the 50,000+ TCS New York City Marathon field is ASICS. I actually believe the percentage is higher -- 66% I think, so I decided to start putting this to the test in what will be a series of 2014 Lookdown Survey Videos on this blog.

Here is the first randomly shot iPhone video, while 8,000 of us were being herded toward the start of Saturday's UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, another weekly New York Road Runners event at Central Park. It is MORE than 66% ASICS shoes in my immediate area (7 of 9), including my own ASICS GEL-Cumulus 16s. I used the x2 slow-mo in youtube and captured stills below for further detail and comment.



The first glimpse is of a flash of purple-hued ASICS, along with my black ASICS GEL-Cumulus 16s (you know what they look like from my previous blog posts here). . . .


Brooks on the left, I believe, and the other two are ASICS...


The green ASICS on the left are already counted above. Immediately to my right are Nikes because I could identify the red swoosh. The aqua-hued shoes on the far right were unidentifiable to me after looking at the frames over and over, possibly Sauconys, so I was going to list those as undetermined...



...until I looked at my frames on the iPhone, which was clearer resolution. So I blew this up in Photoshop and sure enough, those are also ASICS:



The blue on the left are already counted in the second photo above. Immediately ahead of me in the black capris is an ASICS runner. And I initially listed the dark shoes in the upper left as undetermined although I suspected they were ASICS. . . .


...and then again I took a closer look at the iPhone frame by frame and it was clear as day. Those dark shoes in the upper left are indeed another pair of ASICS -- maybe Kayano 20s like mine:


So that's 9 runners, 7 ASICS, 1 Nike, 1 Brooks. And in this case we were going to start running very soon so I urgently took this at the last minute and on the move. It was very clear looking around me that almost everyone seemed to be wearing ASICS.

Again, I don't claim this to be scientific but I will be doing these Lookdown Survey Videos occasionally throughout the year at our NYRR races and I think it will become clear. ASICS provides me with running shoes to test from time to time, some I buy. The company has nothing to do with this video series; it's just something I want to do out of my own curiosity. I went through a long stretch of only Brooks Glycerins for a few years, and I've tried all major types. I'll wear ASICS for my 100th race this Saturday.

Undoubtedly the numbers are more spread out at the head of the pack, where there are many runners endorsing various shoes, but I am focused on the field in general and don't feel that the elites at the head are representative nor relevant to this type of survey in terms of runner volume. If you want to know what shoes runners are wearing in races, look at all the corrals and just compare.

I think two out of every three runners is in ASICS at our NYRR events year-round, including the TCS NYC Marathon. Look around at the feet around you and see for yourself.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

100 Races: It's Party Time

Brooklyn Half Week is here, and that means my 100th Race! This is a big milestone for me, one I have coined as #Rundred -- when you hit triple digits in official/scored races. Now that the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K is in the books with a 1:07 finish, I thought I would paste all the New York Road Runners results since I started running in December 2006 and add any other races along the way. This is what 99 races looks like heading into Saturday's party, and shortly I am going to blog about 100 things I've learned.


It all started with a 1:18:40 finish in the Joe Kleinerman 10K, once around hilly Central Park on a cold and sunny day on Dec. 10, 2006, nine days after I quit smoking. This list is all my scored/official races, so I did not include a couple of marathons that I ran on my own or the #12RunsOfChristmas, etc. It includes the NYRR 8K in March 2008, when ice at Central Park meant it had to be a "fun run" but was still included as a qualifier for the NYC Marathon. The Emerald Nuts Midnight Run on the last day of 2010 is included, because it is a NYCM qualifier but not scored. For the record, I also ran the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run on Dec. 31, 2007, but I'm guessing we did not get credit for it that year.

NYRR's introduction of "My NYRR" in 2013 made it a little trickier to just string together these results, so I had to delete some columns from the 2013 section, and they also no longer include the NYC Marathon with all the other NYRR results now so I had to add that one to 2013. To see specifics on my 14 marathon or ultra finishes, you can go to my Marathon Maniacs page. Here's the Hot 100:

2014 - I started running for ASICS and got to run a mile with Ryan Hall!
http://web2.nyrrc.org/aes-programs/results/vars/spacer.gif
Race Name
Date
Distance
(miles)
Net
Time
Pace
per
Mile
Overall
Place
Gender
Place
Age
Place
April 27, 2014
4.0
40:44
10:11
5966
3433
281
34:29
48.88 %
April 6, 2014
4.0
42:42
10:41
4434
2478
182
36:09
46.62 %
April 5, 2014
6.2
1:08:03
10:57
6963
3862
280
57:36
46.62 %
February 2, 2014
4.0
43:35
10:54
4835
2623
185
36:54
45.67 %
January 26, 2014
13.1
2:43:44
12:30
3883
2357
215
2:19:52
42.34 %
93 ASICS LA Marathon in March

2013 - Ran NYC Marathon for first time in 5 years
Race Name
Date
Distance
(miles)
Net
Time
Pace
per
Mile
Overall
Place
Gender
Place
Age
Place
December 14, 2013
9.3
1:51:17
11:57
4059
2109
153
October 13, 2013
13.1
2:37:57
12:04
6356
3686
265

October 6, 2013
13.1
2:37:45
12:03
5233
2777
217

September 29, 2013
10.0
1:56:39
11:40
6071
3547
256

September 22, 2013
1.0
8:36
8:36
4125
2484
150

September 15, 2013
18.0
3:58:19
13:15
4958
2526
247

September 7, 2013
4.0
43:01
10:46
4232
2165
138

July 21, 2013
6.2
1:18:46
12:41
6285
3624
224

May 30, 2013
3.0
37:48
12:36
4635
2631
122

April 21, 2013
4.0
44:34
11:09
5511
2971
223

April 6, 2013
6.2
1:13:15
11:49
7274
3946
250

February 3, 2013
4.0
49:43
12:26
5199
2706
198

January 27, 2013
13.1
2:35:26
11:52
4570
2836
247

January 5, 2013
6.2
1:10:17
11:21
2855
1634
139

78 Fort Lauderdale/A1A Marathon in February
77 New York City Marathon in November


2012 - 3 marathons including my first outside of USA (Paris); beat ITB Syndrome
Race Name, Date
Dist.
(miles)
Gun
Time
Net
Time
Pace
per Mile
 Overall Place/
Total
Finishers
 Gender Place/
Total
Males
 Age Place/
Total in
Age Group
76 ING NYC Marathon Tune-up
September 23, 2012
18.0
3:53:32 
3:49:07 
12:43 
4107 / 4326 
2210 / 2280 
200 / 211 

  
75 NFL Back to Football Run
August 30, 2012
4.0
45:52 
42:22 
10:35 
2693 / 3446 
1468 / 1685 
70 / 85 
36:09 
46.5 % 
74 Run to Breathe
July 21, 2012
6.2
1:15:02 
1:06:57 
10:47 
3951 / 4840 
2204 / 2470 
155 / 185 
57:37 
46.5 % 
73 CPC Run for Central Park
July 14, 2012
4.0
46:02 
42:32 
10:38 
4123 / 5073 
2366 / 2622 
182 / 202 
36:36 
46.0 % 
72 Achilles Hope & Possibility
June 24, 2012
5.0
58:37 
54:47 
10:57 
2356 / 3382 
1307 / 1673 
105 / 131 
47:08 
45.2 % 
71 Portugal Day
June 17, 2012
5.0
57:14 
52:11 
10:26 
3642 / 4425 
2472 / 2749 
205 / 227 
44:54 
47.5 % 
70 Brooklyn Half Marathon
May 19, 2012
13.1
2:38:57 
2:29:15 
11:23 
12839 / 14187 
6761 / 7110 
335 / 363 
2:09:44 
45.6 % 
69 UAE Healthy Kidney 10K
May 12, 2012
6.2
1:17:28 
1:10:21 
11:20 
7204 / 7934 
3968 / 4191 
271 / 294 
1:00:32 
44.3 % 
68 NYC Half
March 18, 2012
13.1
2:52:00 
2:27:45 
11:16 
13623 / 15376 
7007 / 7476 
528 / 565 
2:08:26 
46.1 % 
67 Joe Kleinerman 10K
January 7, 2012
6.2
1:34:54 
1:29:33 
14:26 
5261 / 5313 
2770 / 2779 
201 / 202 
1:17:04 
34.8 %
66 Miami Marathon in January
65 Paris Marathon in April
64 MLB All-Star Game 5K in Kansas City in July
63 Harrisburg Marathon in November


2011 - No marathons this year but maintained a base year-round
Race Name, Date
Dist.
(miles)
Gun
Time
Net
Time
Pace
per Mile
 Overall Place/
Total
Finishers
 Gender Place/
Total
Males
 Age Place/
Total in
Age Group
62 Emerald Nuts Midnight Run
December 31, 2010
4.0
MQ MQ 
MQ MQ 
0:00 
   
   
   
  
  
61 Ted Corbitt 15K
December 17, 2011
9.3
1:51:23 
1:46:33 
11:27 
3942 / 4290 
1960 / 2043 
138 / 144 
1:32:09 
44.6 % 
60 Join The Voices! 5M
December 4, 2011
5.0
54:25 
52:06 
10:25 
4010 / 5006 
2165 / 2437 
158 / 175 
44:50 
47.5 % 
59 Portugal Day
June 19, 2011
5.0
1:06:08 
1:00:25 
12:05 
4365 / 4643 
2824 / 2925 
244 / 250 
52:25 
40.6 % 
58 NYRR Celebrate Israel
June 5, 2011
4.0
52:10 
46:21 
11:35 
4582 / 5182 
2578 / 2761 
186 / 202 
40:12 
41.8 % 
57 Brooklyn Half Marathon
May 21, 2011
13.1
2:46:49 
2:38:00 
12:03 
5611 / 5921 
2806 / 2885 
135 / 142 
2:18:33 
42.7 % 
56 UAE Healthy Kidney 10K
May 14, 2011
6.2
1:18:45 
1:13:02 
11:46 
7065 / 7564 
3767 / 3920 
249 / 257 
1:03:21 
42.3 % 
55 Japan Run 4M
May 8, 2011
4.0
53:24 
49:04 
12:16 
4755 / 5073 
2610 / 2690 
199 / 204 
42:34 
39.5 % 
54 NYRR 4-Mile
April 23, 2011
4.0
49:29 
44:07 
11:01 
4578 / 5161 
2617 / 2790 
167 / 178 
38:16 
44.0 % 
53 Scotland Run
April 10, 2011
6.2
1:20:51 
1:12:38 
11:42 
7998 / 8493 
4394 / 4518 
284 / 291 
1:03:01 
42.6 % 
52 NYRR Manhattan Half
January 22, 2011
13.1
2:52:14 
2:46:15 
12:41 
4286 / 4369 
2646 / 2676 
204 / 208 
2:25:47 
40.6 %

2010 - Fewest races, as I got hitched and settled into new house
Race Name, Date
Dist.
(miles)
Gun
Time
Net
Time
Pace
per Mile
 Overall Place/
Total
Finishers
 Gender Place/
Total
Males
 Age Place/
Total in
Age Group
51 NYRR Ted Corbitt 15K
December 19, 2010
9.3
1:55:44 
1:53:14 
12:10 
3397 / 3541 
1793  
134  
1:38:46 
41.6 % 
50 Brooklyn Half Marathon
May 22, 2010
13.1
3:03:25 
2:49:59 
12:58 
6905 / 7015 
3403 / 3423 
167 / 169 
2:30:19 
39.3 % 
49 Scotland Run
April 3, 2010
6.2
1:15:41 
1:11:07 
11:28 
7133 / 7795 
3908 / 4074 
241 / 259 
1:02:12 
43.5 %
48 Miami Marathon in January
47 MLB All-Star 5K in Anaheim in July


2009 - Proposed to Lisa at finish line of New Jersey Marathon
Race Name, Date
Dist.
(miles)
Gun
Time
Net
Time
Pace
per Mile
 Overall Place/
Total
Finishers
 Gender Place/
Total
Males
 Age Place/
Total in
Age Group
46 Joe Kleinerman 10K
December 6, 2009
6.2
1:09:48 
1:06:51 
10:46 
4139 / 4803 
2211 / 2401 
164 / 175 
58:28 
46.2 % 
45 ING NYC Marathon Tune-Up
September 27, 2009
18.0
4:01:22 
3:57:49 
13:12 
3521 / 3567 
1975 / 1993 
160 / 164 

  
44 NYC Half-Marathon
August 16, 2009
13.1
3:01:25 
2:46:51 
12:44 
9592 / 10195 
4879 / 5050 
430 / 446 
2:28:49 
39.7 % 
43 Colon Cancer 15K Challenge
March 22, 2009
9.3
1:40:09 
1:37:55 
10:31 
2035 / 2347 
1119 / 1216 
132 / 140 
1:26:51 
47.3 % 
42 NYRR Bronx Half-Marathon
February 8, 2009
13.1
2:41:44 
2:38:01 
12:03 
3513 / 3677 
2236 / 2291 
259 / 264 
2:20:57 
42.0 % 
41 NYRR Gridiron Classic
February 1, 2009
4.0
0:48:02 
42:15 
10:33 
4316 / 5270 
2478 / 2764 
268 / 294 
37:15 
45.2 %
40 New Jersey Marathon in May
39 MLB All-Star 5K in St. Louis in July


2008 - Best shape of my life, PR'd in two marathons (St. Louis & NYC)
Race Name, Date
Dist.
(miles)
Gun
Time
Net
Time
Pace
per Mile
 Overall Place/
Total
Finishers
 Gender Place/
Total
Males
 Age Place/
Total in
Age Group
38 NYRR Holiday 4-Mile
December 13, 2008
4.0
0:46:31 
39:11 
9:47 
3161 / 4880 
1702 / 2174 
168 / 205 
34:32 
48.7 % 
37 Joe Kleinerman 10K
December 7, 2008
6.2
1:05:15 
1:02:29 
10:04 
3319 / 4339 
1998 / 2339 
196 / 223 
55:05 
48.7 % 
36 Knickerbocker 60K
November 15, 2008
37.2
9:51:00 
9:51:00 
15:53 
78 / 80 
62 / 63 
17 / 17 

  
35 ING New York City Marathon
November 2, 2008
26.2
5:51:45 
5:13:27 
11:57 
32064 / 38096 
22241 / 25216 
3426 / 3810 
4:43:17 
44.0 % 
34 NYRR Grand Prix Queens Half
September 14, 2008
13.1
2:25:32 
2:22:55 
10:54 
2407 / 3059 
1592 / 1888 
176 / 207 
2:07:28 
46.4 % 
33 Run for Central Park
July 19, 2008
4.0
0:43:27 
38:13 
9:33 
2790 / 4613 
1772 / 2325 
192 / 253 
33:58 
49.6 % 
32 Hope & Possibility 5M
June 22, 2008
5.0
0:52:05 
49:49 
9:57 
1015 / 2043 
627 / 974 
75 / 109 
44:16 
48.1 % 
31 WABC Fight/Prostate Cancer
June 15, 2008
5.0
0:54:13 
49:45 
9:57 
3828 / 5515 
2739 / 3462 
327 / 402 
44:13 
48.2 % 
30 Healthy Kidney 10K
May 17, 2008
6.2
1:10:35 
1:02:07 
10:01 
5019 / 6282 
3075 / 3441 
289 / 329 
55:12 
48.6 % 
29 NYRR Brooklyn Half
May 3, 2008
13.1
2:20:24 
2:15:46 
10:21 
4957 / 5839 
2991 / 3294 
282 / 320 
2:02:07 
48.4 % 
28 Scotland Run 10K
March 30, 2008
6.2
1:06:45 
59:56 
9:40 
4811 / 6977 
2967 / 3669 
281 / 362 
53:16 
50.4 % 
27 Colon Cancer Challenge 15K
March 9, 2008
9.3
1:43:11 
1:37:54 
10:31 
2888 / 3286 
1628 / 1757 
194 / 204 
1:27:33 
47.0 % 
26 NYRR Bronx Half-Marathon
February 10, 2008
13.1
2:21:00 
2:20:32 
10:43 
2891 / 3265 
1952 / 2113 
235 / 254 
2:06:24 
46.8 % 
25 NYRR Gridiron Classic
February 3, 2008
4.0
0:47:37 
41:26 
10:21 
3967 / 4940 
2360 / 2669 
284 / 325 
36:49 
45.7 % 
24 NYRR Manhattan Half
January 27, 2008
13.1
2:26:00 
2:18:58 
10:36 
4255 / 4997 
2782 / 3116 
345 / 391 
2:05:00 
47.3 % 
23 NYRR Fred Lebow Classic
January 12, 2008
5.0
0:56:54 
53:21 
10:40 
3789 / 4425 
2152 / 2351 
272 / 295 
47:25 
44.9 % 
22 St. Louis Marathon in April

2007 - First full year of running, signed up for every race I could & chugged water
Race Name, Date
Dist.
(miles)
Gun
Time
Net
Time
Pace
per Mile
 Overall Place/
Total
Finishers
 Gender Place/
Total
Males
 Age Place/
Total in
Age Group
21 NYRR Hot Chocolate 15K
December 1, 2007
9.3
1:38:42 
1:35:16 
10:14 
3880 / 4773 
2059 / 2323 
213 / 237 
1:25:11 
48.3 % 
20 Race To Deliver
November 18, 2007
4.0
0:42:37 
37:35 
9:23 
3097 / 5213 
1807 / 2486 
177 / 233 
33:24 
50.4 % 
19 ING New York City Marathon
November 4, 2007
26.2
6:23:41 
6:08:25 
14:03 
36986 / 38607 
25255 / 26072 
3814 / 3909 
5:35:55 
37.1 % 
18 NYC Half-Marathon
August 5, 2007
13.1
2:31:48 
2:26:01 
11:08 
8671 / 9927 
4789 / 5164 
459 / 501 
2:12:27 
44.7 % 
17 Naples-New York Park to Park
July 14, 2007
6.2
1:03:45 
58:55 
9:30 
2728 / 4566 
1786 / 2392 
173 / 234 
52:46 
50.8 % 
16 WABC Fight/Prostate Cancer
June 17, 2007
5.0
0:53:07 
47:55 
9:35 
3297 / 5010 
2508 / 3280 
306 / 394 
42:55 
49.7 % 
15 Japan Day
June 3, 2007
4.0
0:39:58 
37:01 
9:15 
2507 / 4599 
1776 / 2558 
176 / 257 
33:09 
50.8 % 
14 AHA Start! Wall Street Run
May 22, 2007
3.0
0:35:28 
27:51 
9:17 
3631 / 6672 
2506 / 3635 
485 / 706 

  
13 Healthy Kidney 10K
May 19, 2007
6.2
1:02:21 
57:11 
9:13 
3576 / 5419 
2450 / 3087 
236 / 308 
51:13 
52.4 % 
12 NYJL Mother's Day 4M
May 13, 2007
4.0
0:38:09 
36:54 
9:13 
1659 / 3194 
1111 / 1581 
98 / 144 
33:03 
50.9 % 
11 NYRR Brooklyn Half-Marathon
April 14, 2007
13.1
2:22:35 
2:19:03 
10:36 
4125 / 4853 
2588 / 2831 
258 / 284 
2:06:07 
46.9 % 
10 Scotland Run 10K
April 1, 2007
6.2
1:05:57 
1:01:17 
9:53 
4316 / 5721 
2721 / 3178 
271 / 320 
54:53 
48.9 % 
9 NYRR 8K Run
March 17, 2007
4.9
MQ 

0:00 
   
   
   
  
  
8 Colon Cancer Challenge 15K
March 11, 2007
9.3
1:38:31 
1:36:15 
10:20 
2025 / 2403 
1235 / 1341 
135 / 143 
1:26:46 
47.4 % 
7 Salsa, Blues + Shamrocks 5K
March 4, 2007
3.1
0:31:51 
30:17 
9:46 
1902 / 2874 
1244 / 1618 
128 / 159 
27:07 
47.5 % 
6 NYRR Gridiron Classic
February 4, 2007
4.0
0:49:17 
43:05 
10:46 
3837 / 4482 
2267 / 2501 
244 / 256 
38:35 
43.6 % 
5 NYRR Manhattan Half
January 21, 2007
13.1
2:34:22 
2:30:03 
11:27 
4108 / 4404 
2649 / 2777 
328 / 340 
2:16:06 
43.5 % 
4 NYRR Fred Lebow Classic
January 7, 2007
5.0
57:03 
54:01 
10:48 
3636 / 4181 
2177 / 2364 
255 / 274 
48:23 
44.0 %
3 Oklahoma City Half Marathon in May

2006 - Bought my first pair of ASICS, joined NYRR and started running
Race Name, Date
Dist.
(miles)
Gun
Time
Net
Time
Pace
per Mile
 Overall Place/
Total
Finishers
 Gender Place/
Total
Males
 Age Place/
Total in
Age Group
2 NYRR Hot Chocolate 10M
December 16, 2006
10.0
2:10:55 
2:07:07 
12:42 
3945 / 4034 
1971 / 1996 
207 / 210 
1:54:44 
38.6 % 
1 Joe Kleinerman 10K
December 10, 2006
6.2
1:21:13 
1:18:40 
12:41 
4731 / 4910 
2552 / 2610 
300 / 305 
1:10:28 
38.1 % 

Question: How many races have you run? What does it mean to you to be able to look back on your previous races?