Marathon Training

Lyle, Kathy, Mary, and our newest "Woman on the Run," Meg following the Madrid Ramble in June 2008

On New Years Day 2008, I was sitting around contemplating what we had just accomplished and almost teary-eyed as I thought about what great friends I had that would agree to do this wild plan with me. I wanted to do something special for them to celebrate our friendship and this endeavor. I got an idea that I would try to get autographed copies of Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer for each of them. (As you might recall from an earlier post, I had met her at the More Half Marathon in 2007 and had purchased her new book then, which I really enjoyed.) I emailed Kathrine and she was kind enough to mail me (from New Zealand!) autographed bookplates personally addressed to each member of our group. I purchased the books, pasted in the bookplates, and was so thrilled to give them out. That Kathrine...what a peach!

Then the serious training and planning began. A number of us continued to run consistently through the winter, others took a break and picked it up again in the spring. A few of us decided to use the Run Less Run Faster by Pierce, Murr and Moss as the basis for our training program. We ran a number of local races together to keep the group spirit and enthusiasm high. Some races we did together included the Frozen Foote Series (Canton), the Ottawa Half-Marathon, the Whiteface Uphill Run, the Sunset Series (Canton), the Seaway Festival Run (Ogdensburg), and the Madrid Ramble. Alka had a serious setback in February when she fractured her ankle while doing step aerobics. She pushed and rehabilitated herself--swimming, walking, and eventually running within a few months. She was able to start our 16 week training plan in July and did extremely well.

We also had a series of "marathon meetings" in April, September and October, to make our plans for training, racing, and travel plans for the weekend itself. We were disappointed in June that Nancy, Brooke and Lauren did not win the lottery. In the end, Brooke decided to run a different fall marathon with her father, Lauren had a baby, and Nancy decided that life was already too full to do additional fundraising to snag a spot (she already had multiple volunteering and fundraising commitments in progress). But Nancy has continued to be a great supporter and mentor. She ran the NYC Marathon once before in 1984 when the field was 18,000.

We began our taper a couple of weeks ago, and had our last long run (8 miles--piece of cake!) this past weekend. Nancy invited us all over afterwards for a "marathon send-off" party and we had blast. Mary's brother, Dave, who is the sports editor for the local newspaper attended and got our story and photo for the paper.

Six days to go. The arrangements are made, we are all well trained, so now we just need to show up and run the greatest marathon in the world!!

We're in!!

The final two races...

I didn't attend these races, but I wanted to make sure they were chronicled as they represent the final qualifying races for Shirley and Mel. The Hot Chocolate 15K was held on December 1, and Kathy, Shirley and Mel traveled down together to run the race, and even squeezed in some Christmas shopping at the Woodbury Commons on the way back. This was Shirley's 9th and final race.

Mel still had one race to go, and she persuaded her husband to take her on a little vacation to the city, just the two of them, for the Joe Kleinerman 10K on December 9. We anxiously checked the NYRR website that Sunday to make sure that she actually did it...and she did! Six of us had successfully completed the required 9 qualifying races for the 2008 New York City Marathon!! We were in!

Poland Springs Marathon Kickoff: October 28, 2007

This would be the 9th race for me and three others in the group. Six of us were racing this weekend: me, Kathy, Mary, Alka, Shirley and Mel. We all drove down together in my car and stayed again at the Beacon Hotel. As we drove down, I reflected back over the past year and all that we had done, as well as all the things we had talked of doing during our trips to New York but had not yet done. The time had really flown by, and this would be the 9th and final trip to NYC in 2007 for some of us.

In our usual style, we packed it in. After checking into the hotel, we had lunch at the Citrus Bar and Grill (which we liked) near the hotel. Then we headed down to Times Square to get some play tickets at the TKTS booth. The line was a mile long, so we headed into the Marriott Marquis to wait for the line to shorten. We discovered the Broadway Lounge which had a wall of windows with a view of the Times Square circus below. We relaxed and enjoyed the ambience and felt very fortunate. As predicted the TKTS line had shortened considerably by the time we queued up, and we snagged the tickets we wanted. After the play, we tried to get into Carmine's at Times Square for dinner, but it was absolutely packed. We took the subway up to Carmine's on the Upper West Side. It too was packed with a long wait. We finally settled on a small Thai restaurant, the Lemongrass Grill, near the subway station, and enjoyed some good food and Thai beer. For once, Mel was unable to order her usual chicken caesar salad, and was forced to try something new, which she liked!

We slept well at the Beacon which had become so familiar and comfortable. The next morning, as Mary and Kathy slipped away to get their Starbucks fix, the rest of us relaxed, sipping hotel coffee and attaching our bibs and Champion Chips. As we emerged from the warmth of the hotel, the cool air chilled us. We walked quickly to the race start and seeded ourselves in the lineup. They had already set up the bleachers for the New York Marathon which would be held just 7 days later, and we all got a chill thinking about how cool it was to be running this part of the course today, and what it would be like running the entire course next year. All of us ran well...for me it was one of my fastest times ever. I had been training using the FIRST program, and it really made a huge difference. We all finished the race, and for me, Kathy, Alka, and Mary, we had accomplished our goal of running the 9 qualifying NYRR races so that we would be eligible for guaranteed entry into the 2008 New York City Marathon!! Shirley still had one more race to do, and Mel had two, so the goal was still well within their reach.

We celebrated on our way out of town by having brunch at Sylvia's in Harlem, which was a real treat.

Nearing the end...

Nine of us started this great adventure to do nine NYRR races in 2007.

I am sorry to say that 3 in our group will not be able to complete the 9 races, but are going to hope for the best in the 2008 lottery (Nancy, Lauren, Brooke). Even though she won't get nine races in 2007, Nancy is still running a number of the fall NYRR races just for the fun of it. We all hope that Nancy, Lauren, and Brooke make it into the marathon so we can all race together as we originally planned.

That leaves 6 who are working to complete the nine races in 2007. Four of us plan to finish the nine races with the Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff on October 28. Mel and Shirley have a couple of additional races to do...I'm trying to talk them into doing two races between now and Oct 28 so that we can all finish together. However, if they can't there are still some good races in December, and that gives us a good excuse to go to New York again for a celebratory 10th race!

Labrecque Classic 5K: Sep 16, 2007

Kathy, Mary, Mel, Shirley, Nancy, Alka, Lyle

Kathy and Nancy are holding their awards for placing in their age groups.

Women on the Run Win Washington

We decided to do something a little different this time and take in a NYRR race in Washington DC. We drove down in two cars and stayed the first night with Mary's friend, Pam, in Brunswick MD. We had a blast and her hospitality was wonderful. We drove into the city Saturday morning, dropped our cars and baggage at the Marriott Key Bridge, and then rented bicycles in Rosslyn. We crossed the Potomac and had lunch outdoors along the waterfront. We then hit the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Washington Monument, the White House, the Mall, and the Capitol before heading back to Rosslyn. They were having a big anti-war protest at the Capitol, and there were helicopters, police cars, and mounted police everywhere. We took a bike trail on the Arlington side of the Potomac which was very pleasant. We stopped to watch two bald eagles which were gliding in circles above the Potomac in front of the Lincoln Memorial. What an awesome sight. We later had dinner at the Peacock Cafe in Georgetown, which was a nice walk from our hotel.

Race morning, we took cabs to the start at Freedom Plaza (it was too early for the Metro) and picked up our packets. It was cool, with a bright rising sun. We found a warm sunny spot to hang out while we waited and chatted with other runners. There weren't nearly as many racers as we expected. In fact someone commented, "This is like an Ogdensburg race!" It was a welcome change to not be in a crowd of thousands.

The streets of Washington were deserted. What a contrast to the previous afternoon when we we dodging people and cars everywhere on our bicycles. We were very touched as we stood on Pennsylvania Avenue at the race start, with the Capitol ahead of us, American flags rippling on either side of us and listened to the National Anthem sung by an opera singer. It was beautiful.

And then we were off. It was a relatively flat course. Up Pennsylvania Ave. to the Capitol, then past the Capitol, a small loop just beyond the Capitol, and then we retraced our steps. Although an out and back course can be uninteresting, its fun to be able to see the race leaders as they head back for the finish.

We found each other easily after the race and sat on the curb of Pennsylvania Ave eating our bagels and enjoying the good vibes. Kathy went to check the posted times---and came back screaming in disbelief---she had come in second for her age group with a time of 26:58! We did some checking and found that Nancy had come in third for her age group! Congratulations Kathy and Nancy!!

We posed for the above photo, with the winners holding their awards before finding the Metro station and heading back.

It was a beautiful weekend, great race, lots of fun.

NYC Half Marathon: Aug 5, 2007

Before the NYC HM:

Nancy, Kathy, Brooke, Lauren, Mary, Alka, Lyle, Mel

Eight of us decided to enter the lottery for the NYC Half Marathon. I figured we wouldn't all get in, but it would be an awesome race for those that did. I could hardly believe my eyes as I checked the website the evening of the lottery--all eight of us had won the lottery!

We left in the dark Saturday morning and pulled into our Financial District hotel around noon. It was a warm sunny day, and the Hudson River was beautiful. We made a beeline for the subway to take us up to Niketown for the packet pickup. Afterwards, Lauren was on mission for some Tiffany's jewelry, so we stopped in there for awhile. I couldn't believe how crowded the place was. The elevator operator was a real comedian--the elevator ride is not to be missed.

We then made our way down to Little Italy via foot and bus. Mulberry street was closed to traffic and it was a wonderful festival-like atmosphere with outdoor dining, people everywhere, and a beautiful summer evening. We dined on the patio at Da Nico and enjoyed the Italian food and the attentiveness of our multiple Italian waiters. On the way back to the hotel, we couldn't resist checking out the "back room" of one of the shops on the edge of Chinatown. The back room is an interesting concept that I hadn't experienced before. By the time we got back to the hotel, I was totally wasted and went straight to bed, as we had a very early start the next morning.

We got cabs at 6 am to take us up to the race start on the west side of Central Park. It was still dark and the sun was just coming up. After taking a picture and visiting the portapotty it didn't seem like we had to wait too long for the 7 am start.

And then we were off! A lap around Central Park first, with which we were now quite familiar. It was cool, shady and pleasant. Somewhere along that loop a guy yelled, "Enjoy it now because mile 11 is going to suck!!" My favorite part of the whole race was turning out of Central Park and onto 7th Avenue. What a thrill running down 7th Avenue! I loved it. I just tried to enjoy the moment and take it all in. The run down 7th Avenue and then 42nd street seemed like a breeze. Then we entered the West Side Highway. It seemed like it would never end. I wouldn't say that mile 11 "sucked" but I was certainly ready to be done with this race by that time. That section of the race was hot and sunny. Fortunately the day was relatively cool for an August day in Manhattan. I drank LOTS of water along the way and did just fine. As usual I was so happy to see that finish line. They were out of the wet towels by the time I crossed the finish line--I could have really used one of those! My comrades were no where in sight, so I enjoyed some of the post-race festivities on my own. I was offered a free Jamba Juice which was delicious and watched the awards ceremony in Battery Park before heading back to the hotel for a shower.

We topped the day off with a departure via the George Washington Bridge (the top level of course) and lunch at California Pizza Kitchen in Paramus, NJ.

After the race we learned that Mary took 19th place for her age group with a time of 2:10:06. Very impressive considering the field she was competing against. Congratulations Mary!!

Family Day

New York Mini 10K

June 9, 2007

Racers: Mary, Lyle

I persuaded my husband, Mike, to accompany me on a trip into the city, promising him a day at the American Museum of Natural History, including the Hayden Planetarium. Our plan was to stay Friday and Saturday nights in Tarrytown. We would take the train into the city early Saturday morning, he would hang out in Central Park while I ran the race, and then we would go together to the museum. Mary had planned a trip to the city with her family as well, and was staying at a nearby Tarrytown hotel. Mary’s family’s ultimate destination, however, would be the Yankees game Saturday afternoon.

Mike and I picked up Mary at her hotel at 6:05 am, and we caught the 6:39 am train from Tarrytown to Grand Central Terminal. ($14.50 each roundtrip, offpeak, with free weekend parking at the Tarrytown station). We arrived at Grand Central about 40 minutes later, and were awestruck as we entered the cavernous main lobby. There were cyclists with their bikes all over the place--must have been on their way to a race or ride somewhere.

We headed out to 42nd street to catch the #104 bus which would take us pretty close to the race packet pickup and start. Since we started this project this was the first time I had taken the bus, and it was a nice alternative to the subway as you get to see a lot more. We arrived in plenty of time, got our bibs, Champion chips and t-shirts. Mike took our "before" picture, and then he was off to find coffee and a comfortable place to relax while he waited. At that point, the sky was overcast and we had felt a few drops of rain. The humidity was high but there was a slight breeze, and the temperature was in the 70s. Mary and I walked along Central Park West warming up and waiting for the race to start. We were both wearing our Women on the Run shirts, and a man holding a large camera asked if we were part of a NYRR team or club. We were sorry to say that we weren’t. He encouraged us to register our group as an NYRR club, despite our disclosure that we are very loosely organized.

As the runners started lining up, I decided that since I was going to be taking it easy (walking half the first half, running the second) due to an injury, that I would go up front and watch the elite runners take off at the start, and then head to the back of the pack. It was really a thrill to be up front and to see the elite women lined up across the front line, including Jelena Prokopcuka. I remember watching her win the NYC Marathon last November. I had recently read Kathrine Switzer’s book, Marathon Woman, which describes the birth of the New York Mini as the first all woman race back in 1972. And here we are 36 years later. Kathrine Switzer was also there to give words of encouragement. I felt like I was really part of something great to be here with these elite women runners, and especially those who had created the history of women’s running.

I then had a little comic relief. A wiry middle-aged man was standing next to me on the sideline of the race start, wearing shorts and a running singlet. He had that gruff New York City way of talking that I love. He was really excited, cheering and yelling “hey it’s the greatest race in the world!!” I was getting excited too. As we watched the elite runners together, I turned to him and said, “this is great… but as soon as the race starts, I’m going to go jump in at the back.” I was a little puzzled when he replied, “I am too!”

And then they were off. I headed back to find my place with the walkers. It was nice going down Central Park West. I admired the American Museum of History on my left, and looked forward to spending my afternoon there. As I walked quickly down the street, the day was heating up and the sun had come out. I wanted to run so badly, but I was following doctor’s orders and limiting my running mileage. I couldn’t wait until the halfway point when I could let go and run the rest of the way. That last half of the race was HOT. I had a cup of water or Gatorade at each stop, and pushed myself along. I distracted myself by looking for the Central Park landmarks that have become so familiar to me over the past 6 months. Since I ran the last half, I found myself passing a number of women at the back of the pack. Some seemed to be struggling and I was inspired by their determination to keep on going.

I was glad to see that finish line! My husband was standing there cheering me as I crossed the line. Mary had finished way ahead of me, and we posed for an “after” picture together looking flushed, sweaty and very happy. For once we had the luxury of staying afterwards for the awards ceremony since we didn’t have to rush back home, and that was a treat.

Then, Mary was off to meet her family at Yankee Stadium, and Mike and I headed to the Museum of Natural History. The sun was shining and we enjoyed the rest of this perfect spring day.