Training Update Fred Lebow Half Marathon: Week 4

My Thanksgiving to NYE (holiday to holiday) run streak did not really go according to plan. That said overall, I had a decent training week.

One update. I finally did it and joined New York Sports Club (NYSC). Now, I just have to remember to cancel my Crunch Fitness membership. Although NYSC gyms are not as nice as Crunch gyms, the monthly fees are cheaper and getting to and from the gym is more convenient. For example, there is an NYSC location five blocks from my apt and another one that is walking distance from work. I’ve already seen the benefits of joining NYSC. After running in Central Park, I can stop by the gym to stretch or fit in an extra workout on my way home.

Monday: Rest

The plan was to run 5 miles, but we got caught up in all of the traveling delays. We could not leave VA until late in the evening, and I did not have time to fit in a run. I guess that I screwed up my holiday to holiday streak run within five days. Oh well, feet smell.

Tuesday: Crosstraining 

Wednesday: 2 mi treadmill strides

I did this run at my new gym. Within minutes, I became quite annoyed because many of the treadmills are in dire need of repairs. During the workout, I had to switch treadmills four times. I was not trying to be picky like Goldilocks, but I did not trust running fast on some of the treadmills. One treadmill’s speed controls did not function properly, and I was not trying to break my neck.

Thursday: 3 mi speed run

In an earlier post (or five), I mentioned that I was a bit disappointed with one of my running groups’ Monday night easy runs. On Thursday, I gave the group one more try with its speed workouts and was quite impressed. Although the speed run group is smaller (probably due to the colder weather), the folks seemed a bit more inviting and friendly (aka not as cliquey) as the Monday group. Also, I did not know the Great Hill in Central Park has a nice little circular path that can function as a bootleg track for speed workouts. Good to know for future speed workouts.

The workout was pretty straight forward – 3 minutes hard followed by 3 minutes easy. Although the workout was pretty fun, I wished that I was a little longer (look a my lazy ass wishing for a longer workout); we only ran for about 30 minutes after the warmup. Oh in it’s a small world news: the coach of the workout and I grew up more or less minutes away from each other in Va. Beach, and she almost attended my high school. I look forward to going back next week.

Friday: Rest

I was supposed to cross-train but went out draaaaankin.

My biggest pet peeve in NYC, Cash Only bars. C’mon people, we are almost wrapping up 2019. Get with the times and stop trying to avoid paying taxes.

Saturday: Cross-training and intense stretching

Nothing to really write about here.

Sunday: 8 mi long run and quick cross-training session

I gotta say that I really enjoyed this long run even though I started out very sluggish. I think that I’m getting used to running in 30-degree weather. Since my upcoming half-marathon is more or less a baseline marathon, I’m not sure how hard I should be pushing myself on these long runs. At mile 4, I ran a “fast” mile then fartleked for the rest of the run. At the end of the run, I still felt like I could run a couple more miles.

HA! It seems that NYC Runs was hosting its half marathon so I guess that I inadvertently ran a chunk of a half-marathon race. I really need to start looking into NYC Runs’ race calendar because I would have registered for this run just to see where I am in half-marathon fitness. Now, it seems that you have to register 8 months in advance for NYRR races.

On to Week 5 of training 

See you in the streets. 

Random Thoughts Thursday

Some random thoughts for the week.

-Boo! Maybe next year.

– I think that I’m over my Harlem running group.

-I went a little crazy purchasing winter running gear; hopefully, it will serve me well while training for my January half-marathon.

-I’m coming down with a cold, but so far there is no yucky green mucus . . . yet. Fingers crossed.

-Folks have to pay to volunteer?

I currently volunteer as a mentor for a high school program, and the program would like to create an ambassador program for the mentors. Basically, ambassadors would schedule and set up meet and greets for the mentors. Could someone tell why the program wants you to give them at least $200/yr with a two-year commitment to be an ambassador? Let me get this straight. Y’all want folks to take on extra volunteering roles, BUT you want folks to pay to volunteer? Isn’t that the opposite of volunteering. Someone make it make sense.

-I guess that I’m going to have to incorporate some hill workouts while training for the Fred Lebow Half Marathon.

Fred Lebow Half Elevation

-Who’s excited about Thanksgiving and holiday movie season?

-Also, can you believe that Home Alone is 30 years old? Also, what the hell did Kevin’s dad do for a living to pay for all of those folks’ trip to Paris for Christmas?

-I think it’s time for another WordPress photo purge. I’m surprised that I still have not upgraded to a plan with more storage. Oh well. We all know that I’m a cheap bastard.

-The week after next, I’m going to try to start going to sleep at 11 pm.

-I’m still debating if I want to apply to this MS program in education. Starting next semester,  I can start taking up to seven credits per semester for free.

-I’m out

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Training Update Fred Lebow Half Marathon: Week 1

Ok, we are back at it for another half marathon.

I have registered to run the Fred Lebow Half Marathon, which is scheduled for Jan. 19. I think this is the only NYRR half marathon that I have not attempted. I’ve been a bit scared to run this half because it’s smack in the middle of January, and New York is quite cold in January. I have seen post-race pictures of guys with icicles in their facial hair. Y’all know that I cannot stand doing stuff, besides smoking a cig, in the cold. Also, I’m not a huge fan of running a half marathon in Central Park, which is about two loops. I guess that I have gotten over this because I have completed NYRR’s 12, 15, and 18 mi training runs for the NYC Marathon.

I mainly signed up for this marathon because of my FOMO from sitting out TCS NYC Marathon. It’s NYRR’s first long race after the marathon. Actually, I lie, NYRR has a 60K right after the NYC Marathon. 

Another reason that I signed up for this Half Marathon. I think this race will put me at a decent baseline to prepare for and run the United NYC Half Marathon (if I’m selected for the lottery) in March and start training for Madrid’s Rock n Rock Marathon in April.

Completed Miles/Planned Miles: 14 mi/17 mi

Sunday: Competed 3 mi/ _

Lordy, it has been a while since my last run, and boy did I feel it. The plan was to run to the gym and lift before heading to a bottomless broozy brunch. I was annoyed after completing this run because my gym is renovating … once again so it was a cluster fuck of gym equipment everywhere. Plus, there is no longer any place to stretch and foam roll. Every time my gym “renovates”, there’s less and less space. CAN I HAVE SOME FUCKING SPACE TO STRETCH?!! So annoying. Perhaps, this the push I need to cancel my membership and join NYSC.

Enjoying bottomless mimosas . . . for 2 hrs.

Monday Completed 3 / Planned

Easy run to and from the Bronx. Actually, one of these days, I think I’ll do a run to Yankees Stadium. Aside from the Bronx 10 mile, which I have only run two times, I really do not run in the Bronx.

Tuesday: Completed 4.07 mi / Planned

I had a nice little run that incorporated one of my favorite running spots in Central Park, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.

Fortunately for me, I finished the run just as it was about to rain. Phew!

Wednesday: Rest

No run since I was traveling to Anaheim, California for a conference.

Thursday: Completed 4.01 mi / Planned

A nice little run around a section of Disneyland. Man, the traffic lights in Anaheim are super long.

 

I did a loop of Disneyland’s perimeter.

I wonder how much Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears go for these days?

Man, some families don’t mess around when it comes to Disneyland. I started my run around 6:30 am, and there were large groups heading to the park.

Friday and Saturday: Rest

Unfortunately, I came down with a cold and was a bit tired from traveling, conferencing, and getting caught up with time change. On Friday, I woke at 3 am PST; I guess that I was still on EST. Although I did not run, I did walk to Denny’s (0.2 mi) and eat an All-American Grand Slam Breakfast. So the walk to Denny’s counts, right?

 

That’s it for my first week. I’m a little bummed that I am sick, and I hope my cold will not get any worse. Right, now it’s a head cold, but I feel that the green, gross mucous is coming in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

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Running motivation . . . I think

Running motivation .  .  . I think

Usually, around this time I am coming off of my NYC Marathon high. Obviously, this is not the case because I was unable to run this year’s marathon. Fingers crossed for next year.

Random: Yesterday, I saw someone still wearing his marathon. What’s the longest period of time that you have worn a finisher’s medal? A week after the marathon seems a bit excessive. But, eh. Do you.

Besides the “easy” three-miler from last week, I have not done much of any physical activity.

Running in “nature”

Now, it seems that I’m starting at zero. The soreness in my quads, my “easy” run involved

a “big” hill in Central Park, definitely has confirmed that I’m starting from zero. After weighing myself last week, I really have been letting myself go. I’m at 216!!!! This is the heaviest that I have been! We gotta change that as we enter into 2020.

I’m in the process of mapping out a fitness plan. For a distant goal, I already have registered to run Mardrid’s Rock n Roll Marathon in April, but I need a couple of small goals to meet along the way.

As a short-term goal, I just registered for the Fred Lebow Half Marathon on Jan 19. Hopefully, it will not be an insanely cold January morning. I might as well get started on my 9+1 for 2021’s NYC Marathon.

The little/easy things:

1. I’ve started cycling to work. It’s only a 1.5-mile commute, but every little bit helps.
2. I’m doing a work stair climbing challenge. Unless I’m carrying crap, I’m not taking elevators. Just as an FYI, my office is on the 12th floor. Also, it may help me reduce the number of cigarettes that I smoke during the day. Or maybe, I should take more smoke breaks so I’ll make more trips up and down 12 flights of stairs.
3. Intermittent fasting is back.

The struggle things:

1. Getting back to the gym at least four times a week. Maybe at least three times a week. Since I’m intermittent fasting, the plan is to do my runs in the morning and lift after work. Perhaps, I’ll pull the trigger and join the riff-raff gym (NYSC) near my job.
2. Trying not to eat like a damn animal. But food and booze are delicious.
3. Reintroducing myself to my running groups. Since the weather is getting a bit cooler, maybe fewer people will run, and I will not feel like I have to throw myself at 80 million folks to start and maintain a simple conversation.
4. Crap there was something but I forgot.

One random thing. Actually two things.

-Last week, it seemed like every post on WordPress was from a BibRave Pro. I submitted an application, but I’m not too hopeful. It seems these types of things are based on social media followers. Well, we’ll see.

-I finally got a new phone. I’ve upgraded from an iPhone SE to an iPhone 11 so I made a multigenerational jump. Two weeks later, I’m finally getting the hang of the phone – I find it a bit bulky. The main thing that I did not consider is how annoying it’s going to be running with this larger phone. My former phone, the SE, fit in my hand and my running shorts perfectly, but this one is a bit more difficult to manage.

Quick Nonrunner NYC Marathon Review

As most know, I could not run this year’s NYC Marathon due to an injury. I will say that after arriving from Hawaii the Saturday before the marathon, it took all of my strength to cancel my marathon registration. Even though I was not running, I was up for most of the night. I think it was a combination of being on Hawaiian time and having nerves for a race that I was not running. 

On Marathon Sunday, I thought that I was going to be super crabby and attitudie that I was not running. Surprisingly, I was not. I even made to Marcus Garvey to see the elite men pass Mile 22. 

The top three or four men runners

Actually, I would have been a bit pissed if I did not catch the elite runners considering that we live 0.5 blocks from Mile 22. I gotta say that it was an exciting experience spectating the marathon. Besides volunteering at a fluids station once, I have never watched the NYC Marathon in the 18 years that I have lived in NYC. To be perfectly honest, before I started running again, I actively avoided the marathon.

It was so inspirational watching people attempt, meet, and achieve their goals of running a marathon. I have to admit that I got a little misty-eyed while spectating. Maybe I was still in my feelings that I was not running. Maybe it was the crisp autumn air. To make myself feel better, I tracked the other Kwames who were running the marathon. 

Other folks with my name.

 Go Kwame Doh and Kwame Siriboe!!!!

Oh, what a small world. I randomly saw my high school “twin” running the marathon so of course, we gave each other a fist bump.

Outside of Facebook, I have not seen him since 1998. Twin is in quotes because many folks in high school thought we looked alike, which was not the case. We went to a predominately white high school with very few African Americans. I guess all the Black folk “looked alike”. 

I also gotta say that the entertainment at Mile 22nd was on and poppin with all of the old school throwback R&B and Disco Soul songs. It was really a huge party in Harlem. 

Just out here lending a hand.

I really cannot wait until next year’s marathon (it’s going to be NYC Marathon’s 50th birthday); hopefully, I will not be injured this time around.  

Congrats to all of the participants and finishers of TCS NYC Marathon!!!! See you next year . . . I hope.

26.2 reasons to run NYC’s Marathon

In my last post, “26.2 reasons why I’m relieved that I’m not running NYC Marathon”, I was a bit of a hater. Now, that we (technically, y’all) are less than two weeks out from NYC Marathon, I figure that I would spread some positivity…for the most part.

1. It’s the largest marathon in the world. I may need someone to fact check this for me.

2. Most people will never spend a major chunk of time in all five boroughs in one day. I know folks who are from NYC that have not visited all five boroughs.

3. From what I hear, the opening ceremony activities are pretty fun.

4. It’s addicting. After running one, you’ll want to run more.

5. The crowd support is great.

6. The marathon is right after Halloween so you can get leftover trick or treat candy while running.

7. This year’s medal is in the shape of an apple. Feeling major FOMO about this one.

8. You have the opportunity to run alongside celebrities (***). I know the guy from MTV’s Catfish and Tiki Barber regularly run NYC’s Marathon.

9. Free coffee, bagels, and GU’s at the start village. At least they were there last year.

10. For the most part, NYRR makes the process of picking up race materials and travel to the starting village pretty darn simple.

11. You can “brag” about it completing the marathon for the rest of the month and/or year.

12. With the exception of a few bridges, the course is relatively flat. The 59th Street Bridge is a killer for me. But, you can listen to Simon and Garfunkel’s 59th Street Bridge Song for inspiration. 

13. NYRR is pretty good with fluid stations. With the exception of the first three miles (most of which is crossing the Verrazano Bridge), there are fluid stations near every mile.

14. For the past few years, NYC has had nice fall weather. Actually, last year was a bit too warm for me.

15. Free beer around Mile 17.

Beer at Mile 17

16. It will move/inspire/celebrate/motivate you.

17. You’ll have awesome views of different parts of the city.

18. Hearing the roar of the crowd coming off of the 59th Street Bridge and up 1st Avenue will be unforgettable. You’ll need that energy to get you through the Bronx.

19. If you are not a super-fast runner, you can make friends with fellow runners if you need to take a walk break.

20. Some folks will run in some interesting costumes.

21. Getting a steak dinner.

22. The post-marathon expo is really fun. Going forward, I don’t think that I’d pay to have my medal engraved.

23. I’ll be cheering on folks at Mile 22.

24. You’ll get an extra hour of sleep because of daylight saving time.

25. Every start village is like its own NYC party.

26. There are several Facebook groups that can provide advice and tips for this marathon.

0.2. You’ll have an amazing feeling of accomplishment. 

Random Thoughts Thursday

26.2 reasons why I’m relieved that I’m not running NYC Marathon. Hopefully, I will not be a hater for a few of these reasons. 

TBT Marathon Monday 2018

Ha. I guess it was a good thing that I put “maybe” on my Instagram post. 

1. I am not running 26.2 miles.

2. I can sleep in on Marathon Sunday.

3. I’ll be able to root and cheer for folks this year because Mile 22 goes right through my neighborhood. Oh, I get to buy glitter for my signs.

4. I probably can schedule my toe surgery and have time to recover before training for Madrid’s marathon.

5. No Marathon Monday soreness.

6. No painful post-marathon shower. It’s over for me once the soap and water hit the areas of chaffing. 

7. I can have a beer while watching the runners. Well . . . technically, I usually have a few shots of beer while running the marathon.

8. Since I can defer my registration, I do not have to worry about completing my 9+1 for guaranteed entry into next year’s marathon. This is important because the marathon was supposed to be one of my 9+1 races and I am NOT doing that NYE midnight run again. I know this is bad, but I did (for a millisecond) consider selling my marathon bib. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that you are not supposed to do this. 

9. Once the hip fully heals (hopefully in a few weeks), my running motivation will be restored. Usually, after the NYC Marathon, I do not want to think about running until mid to late January. Maybe this will be the year (technically 2020) that I will run NYRR’s Fred Lebow Half Marathon, which will be held on Jan. 19, 2020.

Man, coming up with 26.2 reasons is tough. 

10. No worrying about having to use a porta-potty.

11. No post-marathon blues. I’m already dealing with the ‘I’m injured and cannot run’ blues.

12. I will not have to deal with the Marathon expo. I’m not really a large crowd, massive lines kind of guy. But, I do like taking this picture.

TBT: NYC Marathon Expo 2018

13. My friends and coworkers will be glad that I’m not going to be constantly talking about the marathon. However, it is a great way to make a conversation about yourself . . . unless you are in a group of marathon runners. 

14.  I will not have to deal with walking another half of a mile (at least) after the marathon to get my bag. Yeah, I know that it would have been easier to get the poncho. But, I like doing the bag check because I take a shower at my gym after the marathon and change into my “hanging out, let’s get some gin” clothes. Also, I need to have my post-marathon smoke.

15. No running across the 59th Street Bridge, which always has been a thorn in my side.

16. No stressing out about flying from Hawai’i to NYC the day before the marathon.

17. If I wake up early enough, I can see the top, elite marathon runners in action.

18. No falling short of time goals. I guess not running the marathon is technically falling short of a time goal.

19. Not running this year (hopefully) will make me want it more in 2020.

20. I guess that I do not have to buy new tennis shoes.

21. I probably will have a nice sleep the night before the marathon. Last year, I think that I only got only 3 hours of sleep the night before NYC Marathon.

22. No eye-rolling on the Staten Island Ferry bus to Staten Island. I cannot stand people who are super chipper first thing in the morning.

23. No bloody nips.

24. No constantly dropping F-bombs after mile 21. Once the marathon hits Manhattan for the second time (Mile ~20), I’m pretty much over the entire thing. 

25. I’m going to my favorite Seafood restaurant on Marathon Monday.

26. No monitoring what I eat 48-72 hours before the marathon. Actually, did I ever do that?

0.2. Who wants a heavy medal anyway? 😉