Hi Everyone! This is quick post to let you know that I've officially moved! From now on I'll be posting at my new domain located at:
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Monday, January 17, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
I Wonder*
(*This post was inspired by IronBrandon who asked me this provocative question - What do you wonder about when you run? Here's my response...)
...If I'll run another sub-3 marathon this year.
...If my brother will finish his first marathon in May
...if my mom will win an age group award before me.
...if the snowstorms will ever end.
...if the new blog will take off like the old one did.
...if i can trust myself to know when to say when (in terms of racing).
...if i'll ever find love in running and running in love.
...if i can run a sub-5 minute mile.
...when we'll find a cure for cancer or diabetes.
...if i can blog and write like I used to.
...if my running brings me closer to friends and family who don't run.
...if i can ever be a consistent pre-dawn runner.
...if the obesity epidemic will ever end.
...if our healthcare system will ever be fixed.
...if my sister is proud of me.
...if i'll ever learn to use Wordpress.
...if i am living up to my potential.
...if i can log 2500 miles this year or if i'll even want to.
...if medicine and running can ever coexist.
...if i'll ever find peace despite the social injustices i see around me everyday.
...if we'll ever find out how he met his mother.
...if i can keep paying it forward without asking/expecting to be paid back.
...if the Mets and Knicks will win another championship in my lifetime.
...if Flushing Meadows will ever be home base for a running club.
...if i can ever run another sub-7 min mile at Mile 25.
...if i'll retire from blogging or running first.
...if I can teach as much as I have learned from others.
...if i'll ever wear black magic marker digits on my bicep.
...how many kids died because of of the Wakefield paper.
...when i'll write another poem.
...if it's easier to run clockwise or counterclockwise around Central Park.
...if Seattle Greys will ever admit an endocrine case they can't treat surgically.
...when we'll stop selling guns to criminals.
...if i'll see a fully operational 2nd Avenue subway in my lifetime.
...if anyone is still reading this list.
...if we'll ever win the war against tyranny and terror.
...why the marathon course runs through the worst part of Queens.
...if there's such a thing as a healthy addiction.
...if i'll ever enjoy red wine.
...when i'll find my 3rd slice of heaven.
...if the 2hr marathon barrier will be broken in my lifetime.
...when the time comes, if I can actually stop, not look back...and just walk away.
What do YOU wonder about?
...If I'll run another sub-3 marathon this year.
...If my brother will finish his first marathon in May
...if my mom will win an age group award before me.
...if the snowstorms will ever end.
...if the new blog will take off like the old one did.
...if i can trust myself to know when to say when (in terms of racing).
...if i'll ever find love in running and running in love.
...if i can run a sub-5 minute mile.
...when we'll find a cure for cancer or diabetes.
...if i can blog and write like I used to.
...if my running brings me closer to friends and family who don't run.
...if i can ever be a consistent pre-dawn runner.
...if the obesity epidemic will ever end.
...if our healthcare system will ever be fixed.
...if my sister is proud of me.
...if i'll ever learn to use Wordpress.
...if i am living up to my potential.
...if i can log 2500 miles this year or if i'll even want to.
...if medicine and running can ever coexist.
...if i'll ever find peace despite the social injustices i see around me everyday.
...if we'll ever find out how he met his mother.
...if i can keep paying it forward without asking/expecting to be paid back.
...if the Mets and Knicks will win another championship in my lifetime.
...if Flushing Meadows will ever be home base for a running club.
...if i can ever run another sub-7 min mile at Mile 25.
...if i'll retire from blogging or running first.
...if I can teach as much as I have learned from others.
...if i'll ever wear black magic marker digits on my bicep.
...how many kids died because of of the Wakefield paper.
...when i'll write another poem.
...if it's easier to run clockwise or counterclockwise around Central Park.
...if Seattle Greys will ever admit an endocrine case they can't treat surgically.
...when we'll stop selling guns to criminals.
...if i'll see a fully operational 2nd Avenue subway in my lifetime.
...if anyone is still reading this list.
...if we'll ever win the war against tyranny and terror.
...why the marathon course runs through the worst part of Queens.
...if there's such a thing as a healthy addiction.
...if i'll ever enjoy red wine.
...when i'll find my 3rd slice of heaven.
...if the 2hr marathon barrier will be broken in my lifetime.
...when the time comes, if I can actually stop, not look back...and just walk away.
What do YOU wonder about?
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Lam Clan Become Road Runners
Race Report from the Fred Lebow Classic 5M
I have a confession to make.
Racing, January, and me just don't mix.
Never mind the fact that I've traditionally taken the first part of the winter off to snowboard, travel, or goof off in the name of rest and recovery, even during the years when I've been forced to start training early in preparation for a spring marathon, I've just never found much success racing in January. The weather is extremely variable, the roads are slippery and slick, and the treadmills at the gym are overtaken by newbies trying to make good on their New Year's Resolutions. Finding both time and space to train is a difficult challenge when you're at the mercy of the road conditions and mother nature. For these reasons and others, I make it a point never to schedule a race until at least late January.
Imagine my surprise then when I found myself pinning my bib and lacing my racing flats at 5:30AM this morning. At multiple points during this procedure, I asked myself just exactly what I was doing and where I was going. Outside, it was 23F with a windchill in the teens, was I sure I was heading in the right direction? If I closed my eyes, I could have sworn I was just walking in my sleep! But as I stopped to look at the three multi-colored racing bibs I held in my hand, I knew I had no other choice but to open the door and go.
A couple of weeks ago, somewhat unbeknownst to me, my parents and my brother had registered for today's race, the Fred Lebow 5M. Ever since they ran the Turkey Trot with my brother and me on Thanksgiving, mom and dad have been itching at the chance to run a race in Central Park. Despite my warning that this would likely be a frigid and cold race, they signed up for this, their first NYRR race, almost as soon as online registration opened. My brother went along soon after. I hawed and hummed but ultimately decided that if my whole family was going to race, I should at least showed some respect and run even if it meant totally going against my principle of no racing in January.
The train ride over to the race start was surprisingly efficient. For once, we arrived at our destination about 20 minutes ahead of scheduled. Because of the extreme cold and wind, we even waited in the station for about 10-15 before we ambled over to Central Park to start our race. We checked our bags, visited the portapotties one last time, changed and bid each other farewell as we went to our respective corrals. (For this race, I was in blue, my brother in red, and mom and dad were running together from pink).
I got into my corral with about ten minutes to spare. Because this race was so sparsely attended, I found room to run a few short sprints to warm up. It wasn't so effectively though because as soon as I was done, I'd be shivering again. As the corral filled up, I found a few Flyers and exchanged pleasantries with them as I waited for the start of the race. I also saw and spoke to DN, a fellow DailyMiler, who like me, was not so prepared for this race. We both lamented how we might have been better off had NYRR stuck with the original plan of going with yesterday as the race day. It would have been about 10 degrees warmer! As it was, this stands to be the coldest race that either of us has ever run in. We were both very eager to get this over with and get back to our warm clothes! Haha! Pretty soon afterwards, the national anthem was sung and we were off.
Right off the bat, I approached this race mentally as a tempo effort more than as a race. My feet were numb, my left knee was still hurting from a couple of nasty falls I had taken on hard ice a few days ago and i had not done a good long tempo run since sometime in November. I allowed my effort to ease gradually to a pace that I thought I could maintain. Lots of runners wearing lots of heavier clothes were passing me initially which felt odd but I did not get distracted and cruised around the 102nd St Tranverse and along the West Side Hills. I passed the first mile at around 6:20 by the course clock but noticed that my Garmin had somehow died. Since I was not aiming for a PR anyway, I figured I shouldn't try to fix my watch but just run "naked" instead, which is what I did for the rest of the race.
Mile 2 and mile 3 felt really steady. I was maintaining a good hard effort and passing people who had taken it too hard in the first few miles. I felt warm at the core but still numb on my fingers and toes. I pressed on the downhills and eased on the uphills, using my own perceived effort to maintain a steady pace. It was actually a little liberating not to know exactly what pace I was running so that I couldn't get down on myself at the end of every mile. There was a water stop at every mile marker but neither I nor the rest of my neighbors took up the offer to drink. Everyone just seemed too inconvenienced to deal with water at that point.
Mile 4 and Mile 5 were the hardest for me. I was tired, I was cold, and I didn't have my Garmin to gauge my effort. My left knee which had been achy was really starting to bother me and my effort over Cat Hill was suboptimal at best. I still managed to hold my position in the loose pack that I was in until the last mile when I allowed a 15 year old boy to pass me and another guy who I had been jostling back and forth with since Mile 2 to surge through with a quarter mile left. It was a good fight though as I didn't let up and sprinted the last half mile at my interval effort. I had the finish line all to myself as I heard the MC announced my name twice as I ran through.
As I regained my breath and allowed my finish time to sink in, I acquiesced to the reality that I ran a mediocre race today. I am disappointed that my five mile pace is the slowest it's been for a couple of years. However, I also know that racing this early in a calendar year is a rarity for me. I remain confident that my speed will improve once the sun returns, the temperature warms, the ice melts, and I can run and train without the threat of ice and snow tripping me up and making me fall. For now, I will continue to build my endurance and stamina slowly and carefully as I deal with the harsh reality of winter in New York.
Afterwards, I met up my brother who had his own troubles battling the Cat at Mile 4 and my parents who both PR'd by two minutes in their respective races. Everyone seemed to have a great time and had fun despite the unbearable cold temperatures and gusting winds. It was the first NYRR Lam Clan run and from the looks of it, there probably will be plenty more!
Racing, January, and me just don't mix.
Never mind the fact that I've traditionally taken the first part of the winter off to snowboard, travel, or goof off in the name of rest and recovery, even during the years when I've been forced to start training early in preparation for a spring marathon, I've just never found much success racing in January. The weather is extremely variable, the roads are slippery and slick, and the treadmills at the gym are overtaken by newbies trying to make good on their New Year's Resolutions. Finding both time and space to train is a difficult challenge when you're at the mercy of the road conditions and mother nature. For these reasons and others, I make it a point never to schedule a race until at least late January.
Imagine my surprise then when I found myself pinning my bib and lacing my racing flats at 5:30AM this morning. At multiple points during this procedure, I asked myself just exactly what I was doing and where I was going. Outside, it was 23F with a windchill in the teens, was I sure I was heading in the right direction? If I closed my eyes, I could have sworn I was just walking in my sleep! But as I stopped to look at the three multi-colored racing bibs I held in my hand, I knew I had no other choice but to open the door and go.
A couple of weeks ago, somewhat unbeknownst to me, my parents and my brother had registered for today's race, the Fred Lebow 5M. Ever since they ran the Turkey Trot with my brother and me on Thanksgiving, mom and dad have been itching at the chance to run a race in Central Park. Despite my warning that this would likely be a frigid and cold race, they signed up for this, their first NYRR race, almost as soon as online registration opened. My brother went along soon after. I hawed and hummed but ultimately decided that if my whole family was going to race, I should at least showed some respect and run even if it meant totally going against my principle of no racing in January.
The train ride over to the race start was surprisingly efficient. For once, we arrived at our destination about 20 minutes ahead of scheduled. Because of the extreme cold and wind, we even waited in the station for about 10-15 before we ambled over to Central Park to start our race. We checked our bags, visited the portapotties one last time, changed and bid each other farewell as we went to our respective corrals. (For this race, I was in blue, my brother in red, and mom and dad were running together from pink).
I got into my corral with about ten minutes to spare. Because this race was so sparsely attended, I found room to run a few short sprints to warm up. It wasn't so effectively though because as soon as I was done, I'd be shivering again. As the corral filled up, I found a few Flyers and exchanged pleasantries with them as I waited for the start of the race. I also saw and spoke to DN, a fellow DailyMiler, who like me, was not so prepared for this race. We both lamented how we might have been better off had NYRR stuck with the original plan of going with yesterday as the race day. It would have been about 10 degrees warmer! As it was, this stands to be the coldest race that either of us has ever run in. We were both very eager to get this over with and get back to our warm clothes! Haha! Pretty soon afterwards, the national anthem was sung and we were off.
Right off the bat, I approached this race mentally as a tempo effort more than as a race. My feet were numb, my left knee was still hurting from a couple of nasty falls I had taken on hard ice a few days ago and i had not done a good long tempo run since sometime in November. I allowed my effort to ease gradually to a pace that I thought I could maintain. Lots of runners wearing lots of heavier clothes were passing me initially which felt odd but I did not get distracted and cruised around the 102nd St Tranverse and along the West Side Hills. I passed the first mile at around 6:20 by the course clock but noticed that my Garmin had somehow died. Since I was not aiming for a PR anyway, I figured I shouldn't try to fix my watch but just run "naked" instead, which is what I did for the rest of the race.
Mile 2 and mile 3 felt really steady. I was maintaining a good hard effort and passing people who had taken it too hard in the first few miles. I felt warm at the core but still numb on my fingers and toes. I pressed on the downhills and eased on the uphills, using my own perceived effort to maintain a steady pace. It was actually a little liberating not to know exactly what pace I was running so that I couldn't get down on myself at the end of every mile. There was a water stop at every mile marker but neither I nor the rest of my neighbors took up the offer to drink. Everyone just seemed too inconvenienced to deal with water at that point.
Mile 4 and Mile 5 were the hardest for me. I was tired, I was cold, and I didn't have my Garmin to gauge my effort. My left knee which had been achy was really starting to bother me and my effort over Cat Hill was suboptimal at best. I still managed to hold my position in the loose pack that I was in until the last mile when I allowed a 15 year old boy to pass me and another guy who I had been jostling back and forth with since Mile 2 to surge through with a quarter mile left. It was a good fight though as I didn't let up and sprinted the last half mile at my interval effort. I had the finish line all to myself as I heard the MC announced my name twice as I ran through.
As I regained my breath and allowed my finish time to sink in, I acquiesced to the reality that I ran a mediocre race today. I am disappointed that my five mile pace is the slowest it's been for a couple of years. However, I also know that racing this early in a calendar year is a rarity for me. I remain confident that my speed will improve once the sun returns, the temperature warms, the ice melts, and I can run and train without the threat of ice and snow tripping me up and making me fall. For now, I will continue to build my endurance and stamina slowly and carefully as I deal with the harsh reality of winter in New York.
Afterwards, I met up my brother who had his own troubles battling the Cat at Mile 4 and my parents who both PR'd by two minutes in their respective races. Everyone seemed to have a great time and had fun despite the unbearable cold temperatures and gusting winds. It was the first NYRR Lam Clan run and from the looks of it, there probably will be plenty more!
Statistics
Official Time - 0:31:10; Average Pace - 6:18 min/mi
Weather - Temp 27F, Humid 67%, Frigid, Wind SE 14.2, WC 23
Finished 65th out of 2383 overall
Finished 11th out of 237 in my AG
Age-graded percentile - 69.1%
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