NYC Half Marathon Photos - Before/During/After - March 17, 2019

The day after the fall

Still sore and wounded after yesterday's spectacular fall. I think this is the worst fall I have ever experienced while jogging, landing literally on both knees, like my sneakers were caught by the uneven sidewalk lip.

Lessons learned:

1. Don't jog on uneven sidewalks.
2. Don't jog on sidewalks.
3. Jog along the road shoulder.
4. Jog slower.
5. Jog with a light on my head pointed to the sidewalk.
6. Don't jog at all.
7. Go back to swimming.
8. Try another gentle sport.

I don't want to even fathom what's going inside the knee area. Am I accelerating its deterioration with advancing age?

If I wasn't wearing gloves for the cold weather, I would've scraped my hands much worse than they are right now.

Yesterday after work even though it was winter cold, I wore shorts to accelerate the closure of the knee scabs. I am sure the neighbors didn't bother questioning what's wrong with me, as they already know what's wrong with me, jogging between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m.

And the socket to my right should is also hurting, that I can't rotate it. Lots of rest will say the physical therapist - so I will say it to myself for free.

Why do I keep tripping on sidewalks, in particular along Grand Avenue?

Lazy foot?

Invisible troll with a rope?

An Omen? A sign?

Inquiring minds don't want to know, but I do.

Now, I go back and walk like I have locks on my knees.

Sayonara!

Okay, today is the last run of the year on the last day of the year!!!!

A fitting way to end the year 2018, with a run during midday around the neighborhood (Baldwin/Oceanside/Baldwin). This time I had the company of my youngest daughter, who's getting physical condition for the upcoming Long Island State Park Winter Run Series. The first 5 kilometer of the series will be at Hecksher State Park on the south shore of Long Island, across the bay from the Fire Island Lighthouse.

This course will be flat and fast, and depending on the wind off the water, very cold. But, we will see in a few days if there's a change in the temperatures. Today, the temperature was relatively warm for a December month in Long Island, in the mid 40's. There was a chance of rain, which we beat before returning home.

One of the small inconveniences of running around midday is that most motorist are in a hurry to get their lunch or other motorists are running between errands. This means more cars to interrupt the possibility of a continuous jaunt around the neighborhood. But this will suffice for what's intended to be, a chance to get out of the house with my cabin fever reaching close to 100 degrees. Another observation of running with more daylight is that every sidewalk and street imperfection is more pronounced, and extra awareness is taken as to not trip and fall. It is a challenge to trip and not fall, which raises the heart rate in a micro-second and lifts the nerves on the tip of the skin pore.

According to the measurement using Google Maps, my daughter and I ran today approximately 3.75 miles. For short distance events, I like to overtrain to have the ability to throw in some speed at the end of the run. For long distance events, for me at this point the limit is a Half Marathon, I tend to train up to 10 to 11 miles with the expectation that the adrenaline from the day's event will propel me to the Finish Line.

Well, in other parts of the world the year 2019 has already made an entrance. Here in the East Coast, we are less than 6 hours to go.

If I was in Ecuador, we would be getting ready to burn stuffed effigies with fire crackers to see the year to a fitting end.

Last run of 2018???

Sunday morning -

Time to jot down some thoughts on this morning's run, perhaps the last one of 2018. Here in front of me is a blank screen, and blank canvas, to leave some words behind.

One of the main motivators to finish a run is to go home, and turn on the coffee machine, ready to percolate some hot java. Sometimes I wonder if it is healthy at all to drink coffee literally after run, considering that the caffeine will be injected and spread throughout a very fast blood stream. But so far, I do not have any jitters or obvious post effect impact on the afternoon nap or the nighttime sleep.

I switched sneakers from the last run, the Brooks GTS Adrenaline to the Blue Suede Classic Reeboks, my all time favorite pair of running sneakers. These sneakers besides being lightweight, and brutally comfortable, regardless of what distance I run.

This morning I ran 7 miles under the secrecy of the morning darkness. No cars, no pedestrians, a few bagel and donut stores already open. One of the things that surprised me when we moved to Long Island is that there are no stationary stores or newspaper stands opened early in the morning. The only store open other than the bagel stores are the 7-11 Franchise Stores. I realized early that I needed the convenience of a newspaper delivered on the driveway. To date, no one can convince me that ready a newspaper on line is better than having a hard-copy on one's hands. Yes, I know the graphics on line are better, but the ability to hold the paper in front of me and pick any story for either side equals choices, and not dictated by the width of a computer screen.

I really didn't set out to run 7 miles this morning, but when I have ample time, with not having to hurry up to go to work, or bring my daughter to the Sunday morning orchestra rehearsal, means I have a canvas of routes to choose from. And I am runner that doesn't use a clock, watch, timer, chronometer, Smart Phone, Fit Bit, or whatever gadget is in style today, so I don't care how fast or slow I am running. I run based on breathing and heartbeat, and of course, leg comfort. Of course, if I am under-dressed for the winter temperatures, I pick up the pace which results in a shorter distance jaunt.

As I run early in the morning, most Christmas lights are out, and inflatable figures are laying flat on the lawn like wrinkled skin milk.

The year 2019 is a few hours away, and I am looking forward to participating in the Long Island Winter Run Series, and get ready for the New York Road Runners NYC Half Marathon in April, which for years I didn't get in via the lottery entry process. I am still on the fence about running the Kings Park 15km the week after the NYC Half Marathon, and I need to look at the calendar to see when the St James 5 Mile race is scheduled for.

Second to last run for 2018

Friday, December 28, 2018

I don't know why, but I woke up a little after 4:00 a.m.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to run in the morning rain. I pondered this decision while I had two cups of coffee with no sugar.

The rain is usually sufficient justification to stay back inside, and then the right knee was also chiming in to the chorus of excuses.

I looked back on what I did yesterday, or actually didn't do yesterday, and began to feel antsy. I couldn't fathom another day of inactivity, sitting on the couch most of the day, searching on YouTube for anything that could catch my short attention span.

I looked outside to see how bad rain was, or wasn't.

Still dark outside and mild for a December, I headed out and felt the drizzling rain on my face, which really doesn't matter, but on my prescription glass yes. I took them off and ran with the blurry view of ill defined shapes and figures.

The right knee was talking - Go back inside, I am hurting. I kept going, and the knee pain actually disappeared.

I ran with the bulky GTS Adrenaline Brooks sneakers, really tight laced to feel a closer impact to the feet.

The rain kept falling and I didn't care. I was happy to be outside, stepping on puddles, avoiding uneven sidewalks and tree roots. I was in my world, step after step, one step at a time, making progress of moving along.

I no longer care what motorists or people say when they see me running early in the morning. I only care that I am moving, breathing, feeling the heart beat, and the contraction-expansion of the lungs.

I don't know why I often think about how the homeless literally survive nature's elements, and ask myself how would I cope if places were traded.

I didn't care that the sneakers, pants, gloves, head cap were wet. However, I did care that I tamed the beast in me by simply going outside for a few minutes in the dark temple of the dawn. and completed a 4.5 mile run.

I will attempt one more run before the clock runs out on 2018/

Photos of NYC Runs Brookln Half Marathon Oct 20 2018

Cheers to ALL!

NYC Runs - Brooklyn Half Marathon, Saturday, October 20, 2018: Recap

INTRODUCTION - 

The posters for the race stated that it starts at 7:00 a.m. But, the preparations to build up the body of a 55 year old, heavy set, male takes weeks to accomplish. Typically, during the "off" running season, the most I'll run in the morning before heading to work ranges between 3 to 5 miles, at a very leisurely pace. I rotate the sneakers that I wear, between Mizuno, Brooks and Saucony. I am in need to replace all three pairs as their other rear right heels are completely worn out. I tapered off, in other words, the last long run before the Saturday event was on Wednesday was about 8 miles.

In the past few weeks, the weather has cooperated and allowed me to run as much as I had planned. I have the flexibility of many possible running routes, to either towards Rockville Centre, Freeport, Oceanside, Baldwin Harbor. In past years, I used to run towards the Long Beach boardwalk, but I capped the running distance to 10 miles of a possible 13 miles to complete the Half Marathon. I figured that the adrenaline and the excitement of the spectators would push me to the Finish Line.

A few weeks back, the right knee was bothering, but like always, I ignore the pain, or switch sneakers, and the pain disappears. Sometimes I wonder if the knee pain is related to cycling, or some work shoes that are oddly shaped. Then days before the actual Half Marathon, I began to "feel" body aches and the initial symptoms of a sniffles. Afternoon power naps were the solution to this self imposed stress.

Two days before the event, I made the huge mistake of driving to the Fulton Street Business District to pick up the race bib. What a big mistake! I was mentally rattled by the traffic lights, the stops, the pedestrians and the general chaos, that for a brief moment I couldn't remember where I parked the car, and then panic began to take over. I retraced my steps, walking past Junior's Cheesecake Restaurant, and an entrance to the Long Island University campus, and a hospital. The drive back from Brooklyn heading home was another long, patience-testing endeavor. More traffic, this time, rush hour traffic. Everyone's rushing, but no one is physically moving. I told myself that this is the last time I am driving these crazy distances to simply pick up a bib. Same day race bib pick up option was not available, however, the mail-in option was and I didn't partake in it. Next time.

DAY OF RACE - 

In the past few months, as I am getting older, I wake up now anywhere between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m., with no desire to go back to snooze. On Saturday of the race, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. Today I was going to experiment running "dry", like a camel, expecting that my fat body would find its own way to take care of this adversity. This meant, no coffee or swigs of water before the race. While driving to Brooklyn along the Sunrise Highway to the Belt Parking, I ate one slice of whole wheat bread, peanut butter and a dab of jelly. Drizzling rain was falling up to the start of the race. This was great news, as I didn't want to run with an extra layer of running apparel, i.e. a rain jacket. Last May, I also ran in the rain the Brooklyn Half Marathon from Prospect Park to the Coney Island boardwalk. 

Driving to Brooklyn from Baldwin on a Saturday morning at 5:00 a.m. didn't entail dealing with the same road clogging traffic as Thursday, when I picked up the race bib. I reached the destination in less than one hour and found free, street parking on Bedford Avenue and Maple Street. I sent myself a text to remember the location of where I parked the car, as everything looks different from 6:00 a.m. to later in the day. I followed a young couple of runners, who were heading to the Start Line, in front of the Brooklyn Public Library, with the yellow sculpture with the word "Yo". This race was organized by NYC Runs, and not the Rock and Roll organization, who set it up last year. The route was the same with minor adjustments, which were better for the runners to navigate to and from Ocean Parkway. 

While I was running, I was very appreciative of all the volunteers and spectators along the way. And I felt bad for the motorists who were inconvenienced by our little event. I couldn't stop to wonder how much this type of event costs the organizers and the logistics involved to organize something that closes so many streets, requiring the assistance of law enforcement and temporary barricades.

My friend Bob Murphy and I had agreed months ago to run this event, regardless of what shape or condition we were in. Actually, I was motivated to break both, the mental and physical barrier, of accomplishing this distance, once I knew that he had participated in one Half Marathon. Before that, I participated in many 5 Ks and 10 Ks. I found Half Marathons mentally challenging, in ways of how to conserve and distribute energy to last this distance at an even keel. One must not drink too much water to be looking and waiting to find a portable toilet, and one must not drink too little that the body begins to overheat like a car without antifreeze in the radiator. One must find the right balance. All of this unfortunately is by trial and error, as no book is specifically written for one's body. 

For me, the first 6 to 9 miles is just a warm up. The actual grunt work begins when the body begins to tire and one is looking for the mile markers to be spaced closer to the Finish Line. Obviously, that will never happen. One must pay the dues, step by step, stride after stride. As the body's strength begins to weaken and fall apart, one begins to see runners pass by. On the inside I am screaming at them to stop and wait for me. How selfish of me!

The grunt work becomes more laborious once the hills inside Prospect Park, before the Finish Line, announce their presence. There is when the breathing is faster and one must stop to catch a breather. On the side of one eye, I jealously watch as runners pass by, one by one, having a good time while I am deaf to the cheering of total strangers on the sides. I drink combinations of water and Gatorade handed out by the happy volunteers. I begin to question my sanity, or insanity for that, as to why at 55 years of age I punish the body with this slow torture. I quickly answer myself - 'cause I need a challenge and I need to prove myself that I can still do this, albeit, slower than previous ones. At this point, I wasn't going to let Father Time tell me anything. I was going to finish whenever I felt like it. Ha! 

I guzzled any liquid handed out past the Finish Line, and ate some ripe bananas. Bob Murphy called me one mile before the Finish Line, and asked me to photograph him. I saw an ambulance head out into the field of runners, and I thought that Bob's knee literally snapped and had to be picked up. I waited a little more to make sure that I was incorrect about the purpose of the ambulance heading out there. There was Bob Murphy, crossing the Finish Line, looking cool, calm and collect. Our finish times? Ha, let's just say we finished.

We walked with our heavy medals around our necks like some type of street warriors, when everyone else around us had the same pendants. And those people who didn't, probably said - so what, or, who cares? 

Like two old farts, we sat in a park bench, talking about everything and nothing about the actual Half Marathon. That doesn't make sense, but then again, why are we doing this to make our selves age 10 years in two hours?

Never again becomes the mantra while doing these Half Marathons, for only minutes later ask the same question: Okay, when's the next one?

Written by Dirk Wojtczack, Wednesday, October 24th, 2018, Baldwin, New York