Fun on Foot Running, Walking Blog

There are two NYRR events this weekend – the Percy E Sutton Harlem 5K on Saturday August 27 and the Bronx Half Marathon on Sunday August 28. The Bronx Half has a new course this year, starting and finishing near Yankee Stadium.
Here are some important logistical issues pointed out to us by Krista Hartman of Mercury Masters. Bib pickup for both events on Thursday and Friday is not at the usual place but at Adam Clayton Powell, Jr State Office Building, 163 W 125th St (at 7th Ave) from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Saturday pick-up for the Half is at NYRR 11:30 am to 4:30 pm. Also note that following NYRR events are near capacity: Sep 17 FITNESS 4M, Sep 24 Fifth Avenue Mile, Sep 25 18M Marathon Tuneup.
Enjoy your event or events this weekend!

On three August Saturdays the city closes the Park Avenue corridor (Park Avenue-4th Avenue-Lafayette Street) from East 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge for use by pedestrians and bikes only. What a great idea! Nola and I ran it this morning. There is another opportunity on Saturday August 20.
The closure is from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm. What makes it particularly good is that the majority of cross-streets are also closed. Only the major cross-town corridors are kept open to traffic on their usual traffic-light cycles. Therefore we found we could have quite a good run.
There is a big crowd, especially of cyclists, but they are mostly courteous to runners and keep to their side. At times, though, one needs to use a little patience.
We ran from home to E 72nd Street and then the 3.8 miles to Houston Street for a nice brunch at our favorite Soho Irish Pub. However, it was an ideal opportunity to continue on into Brooklyn and get some solid mileage under you before hitting the restaurant or bar.
This event is highly recommended because there is so much happening around you the time passes enormously quickly. A great way to enjoyably keep fit!

The NYRR Queens Half Marathon was run on Saturday July 30 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. It brought back memories of last year’s Queens Half which, with the temperature in the 90s, was a totally brutal event. This year it was hot and humid again but not as bad as last year. The temperature was in the mid-80s with a good breeze to help provide some cooling.
As is always the case with this race, one of the most challenging aspects is getting there for the 7:00 am start. This year the challenge was increased by the closure of the 7-train service from Manhattan to Queensboro Plaza. That meant it would take a sequence of three subway trains to get to the race from the Upper West Side or Upper East Side. Knowing the frequency and reliability of the subway service in the early hours of a weekend morning, Nola and I concluded that the subway was not a realistic option and we forked out for a taxi which did get us to the start successfully.
The course this year was a new one, contained entirely within Flushing Meadows Corona Park. It involved many twists and turns but the main elements were two loops of Meadow Lake and one out-and-back leg to the north end of the Citi Field parking area. A memorable part of the course was the circle around the Unisphere, which was negotiated three times with the spray from the fountains drifting over we hot runners. It was really a very pleasant course. It was very flat and there was shade in parts. Were it not for the heat and humidity, it would be remembered fondly as a very scenic and enjoyable event.
It was my first half marathon since my winter injury so I felt very pleased about finishing it, albeit at a pace slower than my best. I look forward to this event again next year.

Last Thursday evening was this year’s first New York City Sunset and Suds 5K Run. This run is organized by Urban Athletics and is held in Riverside Park on the Hudson River at 105th Street. It costs $30, which seems expensive, but the rewards for entering include a pair of running socks, an engraved beer glass, and all the beer you can drink from the end of the 7:00 pm race until 9:30 pm or so. Read the rest of this entry »

If you want to run your first NYC Marathon and live in or frequently visit NYC, an important deadline is approaching. Regardless of your speed, if you have persistence, NYRR has a great way to obtain guaranteed entry into the 2012 Marathon. That Marathon is about 20 months away but, since it will take you at least several months to prepare for a marathon anyway, it is not foolish to start putting your plan in action now for guaranteed entry to such an austere event.
Step 1 is that you must register as a NYRR member before this January 31. The cost is nominal. Then you have the rest of 2011 to complete 9 qualifying races (your speed is not important) and do one volunteering stint to automatically gain entry to the big event (no lotteries, no website queues).
For more details visit www.nyrr.org. And good luck with your exciting training program ahead.

The New York City Marathon, the world’s largest and most spectacular running event, was run Sunday November 7. I ran. Nola also ran it as her first marathon.
The running conditions were close to ideal: temperatures in the 40s throughout with sunshine and moderate winds. From the weather perspective, the million-plus spectators probably experienced more discomfort than the 45,000 runners.
From the runner’s perspective, the NYC Marathon comprises three steps which can be comparably challenging: 1 Getting to the start line at the Staten Island end of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, 2 The race, 3 Getting home. I feel step 1 is the toughest: picture 40,000 people loading the early-Sunday-construction-limited subway system, the Staten Island ferries, and a gargantuan shuttle bus system from the ferry terminal to Fort Wadsworth; followed by waiting for up to two hours in a crowded, cold, windy, muddy camp for your start slot.
Step 3 can also be surprisingly tough. It took me over an hour, in cold, windy conditions, from when I crossed the finish line to get to my apartment a few blocks away. Imagine the logistics faced by anyone not so fortunate in location.
But what is really important is the race. There is nothing like it in terms of environment, crowd support, and total hoopla. The start is unforgettable, launching off onto the lofty bridge to the strains of Frank Sinatra’s New York New York. Then you pass the amazing crowds through the length of Brooklyn, followed by the Queens supporters, and the enormous encouraging throngs in Manhattan and the Bronx.
There are enough hills in this route to make it a substantial physical challenge. I loved the run, while disappointed with my time. More importantly, Nola was successful in completing her first-ever marathon with great enthusiasm and no complaints.
As for the inevitable post-race pain, the post-race partying with my Reservoir Dogs teammates quickly pushed that out of cognition.
What a day!