Leatherman's Loop 10K

I entered the Leatherman's Loop 10K race back in January through their lottery system. Luckily I got in at my first attempt but the way things worked out it turned out to be one week, actually just six days, before I do my main goal race, The North Face Endurance Challenge Bear Mountain Marathon.

I should be okay as it was soft enough in places (see below!) that I don't have the same soreness normally associated with 10K trail events and another good reminder of how good it is to get back into the countryside and get some proper off-road running done.

I shared a car ride up with one of the guys from the Prospect Park Track Club and we left at 6am to avoid the long wait to get access to the car park we had heard about if you didn't arrive before 8am.
We got there at 7.40am which felt really early but by 8am the place was heaving.

The warning pic form their website!

This was my first event competing in my new PPTC club kit which lead to me getting my first shout from a spectator of 'Cmon PPTC'.

It was the 29th running of the event and apparently it is one of the largest fields for a trail race in the US that isn't a Spartan or Tough Mudder event, there were over 1200 finishers this year.

The start was like a cross country, wide open over a rough dry meadow with the herd of runners trampling their way to a left hand bend and sprinting to get to the front as the path narrowed to single and double file for most of the next mile. 

Where's Chris?

Ready, Set, GO!

I had heard the first three miles were the hardest but without knowing the course it was difficult to know how hard to push it from the start. We started near the front but I was definitely delayed due to the number of people around me. A little here but more once we turned into the woods and the path and roughness underfoot meant it was difficult to run close or pass people.

Once the field separated and things settled down I began to enjoy the varying terrain, being able to see where you are going helps!

There were rough forestry trails with gnarly (a favourite word with a lot of REI employees) tree roots and rocks, then the mud flats!

Small video of the mud.

Then after a bit of narrow trail action it opened up to a dirt hill that was short but so steep everyone was using their hands to claw their way up.
Just before that I had a smile on my face as there was both a bagpiper and a mariachi band!

There were two mini water crossings during the first 4 miles and after a bit of a downhill stretch towards the finish there came the infamous water crossing where all the spectators lined the exit up the bank cheering as you jumped up and sprinted the final few hundred meters to the finish.
One of the best finishes to a race I've ever done.

There were tonnes of photographers there and they post the photos on their website for free!

1.

2.

3.

Despite the above 'technique' surprisingly picture 4 was me exiting the water and not falling face first in as you might have expected.
I felt good towards the end and finished with 7.03 and 6.47 mile splits.

Not everyone was so lucky:

On purpose??

I came in 17th and had heard beforehand that under 45mins was considered a good time. I did 45.41 and as is my thing nowadays I thought I might be close to the age group awards but similar to Scotland the 40-49 age group is very competitive in the rougher, hillier trail events so I could only manage 7th!

Definitely one I'd travel up to do again.

Hopefully not as wet next week!

Secret show and secret trail race

On Sunday it was announced that Mumford & Sons were playing a kind of secret show at a small 500 capacity venue in the city. The tickets went on sale the next morning but we couldn't get any.
Late Monday night they announced they were playing a second night so on Tuesday morning we tried again and after a couple of page refreshes after entering my card details I managed to get two tickets!

They were playing all the songs from their upcoming new album, basically practicing the songs live before they go on tour. Because of this, they specifically stated there would be no phones or cameras allowed inside and you would have to leave them at the door.
As it was close to my work we left our stuff there and headed over around 5.30pm, Heather wanted to be close as normally she struggles to see over tall folk at standing gigs!

The doors opened at 7pm and they were due on at 9pm. We ended up being about the 10th people in line and I wandered around the corner to get some mexican food which we ate in line then we went in and ended up right at the front corner of the stage basically a couple of feet away from the bass guitar every time he swung it round.
The two hour wait inside was pretty painful on the feet and back, old people problems, but once they started it was pretty amazing. So close, so loud and brand new songs!

Of course there was the odd person that smuggled in their phone as there were a couple of pics floating about the internet the next day buy the singer commented that it was amazing to look out and see actual faces and not phones and ipads staring back.

As we were up front we were also lucky enough to come away with one of the guitar picks jettisoned at the end of the gig.

REI has been trying to boost its running business, specifically leaning towards the trail running market. They started a running group and are organising a trail race series, the first of which was last Saturday.

I wasn't planning to do it as it was an hour and a bit drive North at the Blue Mountain Reservation but a couple of other people at work said they were doing it and would drive if I wanted to go so I jumped a the opportunity to get some proper trail practice.

They hadn't really advertised it much on purpose as they wanted to keep it low key as it was their first real attempt at orgainsing a running race. The other races in the series are later in the year.
There was only 40 something in the 10K and maybe 30max in the 5K so of course I hit the front within the first few metres and lead the whole way round, coming home first by a good distance.

The course was good, rough in parts, little climbs, and a good warning reminder to not go off too fast in this upcoming marathon with pacing being more difficult to judge.

The course was a little short at 5.9M but I average a solid 6.50 pace overall and represented work, coming away with a nice silver mug.
Annie from work finished 5th overall and 1st female but they only did awards to the first three across the line so we gave them feedback, maybe something they can think about changing for their next ones!

Four weeks to go!

Still training well, just got over the cold which really only made me miss one of the speed sessions.
Last weeks key weekend workout was 18M with the last 14M of that around 7.30 pace. Felt good during but lay on the sofa absolutely knackered later that afternoon.

Then now that we are outdoors for the speed workouts I stepped onto a running track for the first time in years to do a session. 10x400m with a 200m jog rec. Not much lighting when the sun went down halfway through and light drizzle that turned to rain as we finished but in the absence of the two faster guys I led the pack round in fairly consistent 75 to 72 secs.

One of the hardest workouts I've done in ages, the short recoveries were hell.

A slightly different week this week. On Monday, I went with a couple of colleagues and managers to our off-site warehouse (freight company) storage place in New Jersey and basically did a days tidying up of the entire stock we had there.
This mostly meant throwing fixtures away, taking stock of fixtures left there, finding two pallets of stock we didn't know was there and then lining up a pallet of old backpack hip belts to dispose of  due to a (very stinky) dead squirrel being found inside.

It's getting near to my three year anniversary of arriving to stay in the USA.
Three years ago who'd have thought I'd be sitting on the ground, in a warehouse car park, in New Jersey, eating a Subway sandwich!

Thursday our (flagship) REI store had a big event instore. The US National Parks have their centennial celebrations and REI are a main partner associated with this.
This meant a tidy up before a visit from some various big wigs! Just at the end of my shift we went upstairs and provided the audience for the CEO of REI and the Director of National Parks to make their announcements.

The bad news was I was on the edge of the photo and just got shrunk out, the good news, I was one of a few he shook the hand off. I thought that was a pretty cool thing.

This weekend Heather and I went out for a nice meal then went to the Beacon Theater to see Damien Rice.

Apart from one song where he was joined onstage by fellow Irishman Glen Hansard, plucked from the audience no less, he did the whole concert himself.
Similar to KT Tunstall (& Ed Sheerin) he uses the recording loop effect to make different background sounds and even backing vocals for himself.
Really good gig, really strong voice, one of the best I've seen in ages. The Beacon is a really nice old style theater venue too with comfy seats and plenty of leg room, what we look for now, ha ha.
Even though it has some strange Roman architecture thing going on.

Home late but up this morning to do my latest long run, 17M and I threw in a few random hills along the way as I ran through a lot of small parks.

A productive busy week!

21M's and award

Despite some windy weather I had a great session on Friday night. 11M's from work to home with 7 of them around 7.15 pace. I felt so strong, I think the cool weather helps, no sweating!

Then Sunday I did my next 20M run.
It was a little overcast and my gloves were on and off as much as my sleeves were rolled up and down. I revisited last years routes to Coney Island and ran to the beach!

'insert ice cream here'

It was a lot quieter than last Summer! Also not as many toilets were open :-(

It actually ended up being 21M as I reached the bottom of the park at 20M and decided to go up and over the little trail hill for the last mile. I just hit the corner of the local St Patrick's day parade as I went straight into the local muffin shop. I scoffed a danish pastry and some Gatorade on the walk home. Other than being a bit hungry, I felt pretty good. Just got to add the hill part to it now.

Today after work I popped by the office of the Cherry Tree organisers and picked up my age group award!

Cherry Tree 10 Miler

Had a couple of good strong sessions the past week. Last Sunday I did 16M with the last 12M around marathon pace which meant various loops in and around Prospect Park as the other sidewalks were still a little slippy in places.

Tuesday's speed sessions are still going well and I am feeling strong at the end, this week was 3 x 1Mile with 800m jog rec, the last two I did on 6minutes. Thursday we had another snowfall, this was my view of Manhattan as I headed over the bridge on my midweek run to work.

But all that fresh snow meant I could get back on my trail shoes and I managed a whole 7M jumping around the trails the park.

The next day was the Prospect Park Track Club Cherry Tree 10 Miler.
I've never really run that much the day before a race but it wasn't a main goal race and with the (cold!) time of year I didn't think my time would be that great.

This was the rescheduled date as it was way too cold (for volunteers) the last time.
Is it a coincidence that the clocks changed here on Saturday night to Spring time and we woke up to amazing sunshine, 8 degrees & no wind. Despite wearing calf supports and a thermal top I dug out my new SHORTS!

Again, my kind of race. 10am start, leave the house just after 9.40am, jog over, straight into the coral and get racing 5 minutes later. As I've said before it helps that the NYCRuns races are a lot lower key than Road Runner's events. When the guy called out was the lead biker ready and didn't get a response he was like "whatever", let's go!

It was three laps of the park, I took the first one relatively easy as I couldn't decide how hard I was going to race it. Then picked it up as I tried to pull back a few people I could see up ahead such as a couple of guys with their PPTC kit and one of the leading women. Third lap I went for it on the last couple of miles after I crested the hill.

I didn't really think about the time I was aiming for, I'd done it in 1.08.30-something the year before but with my new found marathon strength I knocked nearly two minutes off!

1.06.47, 6.39 pace for 23rd place out of 457 AND as I found out afterwards 3rd place in my age group!

Onto this week, the last indoor speed session before we move to an outdoor track! Then a 14M midweek run, hopefully in the predicted 14 degree midweek weather, an 11M with 7M at 1/2 Mar pace and another 20M on Sunday. Hmmm, tough week.

First race of the year

Three solid weeks of 50miles per week. In the middle I ran my first race of the year, the Al Gordon 4M across the road in Prospect Park. It was pretty pretty cold.
I had to pick up my number on race day morning so tried to time it so I didn't hang to hang about too long but ended up having 30mins to wait. I jogged about for 15+ mins so combined with the jog over it was a good extra 3miles added to the log!
I could tell it was cold when I was sheltering behind the first aid tent near the start. I think it was around -6 but the wind felt cold and my hands and nose were numb during the entire race. Looking back at last year, I ran the same race in long shorts and compression socks, not this time!

Felt strong with all the distance training, averaged 6.16 pace for 25.01. It was a NYRR member only classic event ($10) and I finished 49th  out of 1050 and a solid 4th in the 40-44 age group.

Nice icy water

Sunday was my 4th ever time hitting 20M and possibly the best I've felt on a run of such length.
I even got some hill training in as I ran 12M on the road, using our mailbox as a storage unit for my trail shoes and some fluids etc, changed into my trail shoes then hit up Prospect Park for 7M of snowy trails and a few hill loops.

I even found some snow art which perked me up around the 16M mark.

Also been getting some actual good proper photos while out on my runs.
Had to pause during my midweek morning commute over the Manhattan Bridge to catch the rising sun and the ice flowing down the East River.

Then down Redhook at the piers behind Ikea on Saturday was like a frozen wasteland.

Winter update

So at least we're not any further North! The various snowstorms have dumped record snow elsewhere but the city has escaped most of it although it has been a little cold at times, actually the 4th coldest February since records began!

Training has been going well despite the cold. It actually makes the long slow runs easier as long as it's not windy as you don't feel the need to keep downing food and water every few miles.

Sunday past was supposed to be the Cherry Tree 10Mile in Prospect Park, I'd even picked up my number on Saturday afternoon but the incoming Sunday morning weather meant I got this email later that day.

A new thing for this year is every quarter REI gives you a paid day off, called your Yayday, to get out and do something in the outdoors. I had scheduled mine for the Cherry Tree :-(
The race was rescheduled for March 8th and it cleared up my indecision as my training plan called for a 18M run as I build up my Sunday runs.

It was supposed to be winds of up to 55mph but the temperature was only -2 or so. I did a 5.5M loop back to the house to check out the conditions, shed some of the four layers I was wearing up top, one of the three layers I was wearing on the bottom half and one of the two hats then set off!
I needed my fleece neck buff and occasionally pulled it up on certain streets but otherwise it was fine.
I found a handwarmer and kept it in my breast pocket then switched it to my glove when I got near the water, I'll have to invest in a few more of those, it was very handy indeed.

 There has been some cold temperatures like this:

Today was actually worse. I had the day off as it was a holiday week (President's Day) so I got paid more for working the holiday Monday and they give you a day off so you don't go over the 40 hours.
It was around -7 but the wind was 20mph so when facing the wrong direction my nose and jaw were starting to feeeze up.
I did manage a solid 10Miles with the last 6M around 7.15 min per mile pace.

Tomorrow should be interesting as it's -16 forecast, at least it's my day off running.
Then Saturday morning is one of NYRR's member only $10 races, the Al Gordon 4M in Prospect Park followed by my first 20M training run in this schedule.
Snow is forecast for Saturday night so we'll see what it looks like in the morning!

I'll finish this post with a cute cat talking to the birds video.