One of New York’s Better Kept Secrets / A PR in my Hometown

The Finish, Eisenhower Park, Long Island

Marathon #7 came and went without too much excitement. By now I have a good handle on the marathon routine that works for me, while leaving room for improvement after each race. Plenty of adjustments made during training, and some lessons learned for future marathons. Another marathon personal record, yet still fell just short of the Boston Qualifier. So we have another paradox of success accompanying failure, yet these aren’t the most significant takeaways from the RxR Long Island Marathon.

Two weeks later, the race energy went from flat to super charged as I took on the New York Road Runner’s Brooklyn Half. I unexpectedly achieved a half marathon personal record, as my legs were not fully recovered from Long Island. At 1:27:14, I wonder if there is ever a course that could be designed so flat. It’s been two years since I run this course, beating it by more than 7 minutes. However, this was more like a bonus rather than the result from the changes I’ve made since the TCS New York City Marathon.  The real consequence from running throughout the winter is learning from the actual adjustments made to my training habits, the new people I’ve met, and the new avenues opened for continued improvement.

Marathon Training Adjustments

With every marathon, I make adjustments to my training. Whether it is which gels or salts to train with, what support gear to wear, and what workouts to do; I apply lessons learned from the previous marathon. This time around, I paid particular attention to my hamstring issues and knew that I needed to place more emphasis on recovery. During the Fall season, physical therapy sessions and massage visits made it possible for me to run marathon #5 (Lehigh Via) and marathon #6 (TCS NYC) within 2 months of each other despite my injured left hamstring. So when it came time train for the RxR Long Island Marathon, I bought a membership to get regular massages at Slope Wellness. “Make it to the starting line healthy” is a common catchphrase in the marathon world, and these adjustments gave me more confidence that I would do just that.

Another adjustment to my regimen is reducing the time I actually spend running. I went from 100 miles in the week at peak before my 4-week taper to about 75 miles. This isn’t by accident, though. Workouts with the Central Park Track Club (CPTC) were limited to Tuesday night track and Thursday night tempo runs. The rest of the mileage I would make up on my own. The coaches at CPTC also emphasized soft surface running, as I get closer to my races. So I found myself shifting from doing long runs on the city streets, to hitting the trails in Prospect and Central Park.

The Races

I’ve heard several runners in the New York City area complain about how boring the Long Island Marathon. I don’t argue that if you are comparing to most other marathons. Even the last mile to the finish is a narrow path in Eisenhower Park that wouldn’t accommodate many runners finishing at the same time, as in bigger marathons. It’s a small race. The smallest marathon I’ve ever run with only about 633 marathon finishers (smaller than Lehigh Via).

The boredom of this race isn’t the size. Lehigh Via proved that you can still have a relatively small energetic race if the route isn’t boring and the fans at the cheer areas really make noise. This race had both full marathoners, half marathoners, and 10K runners, starting at the same time. So when the 10K runners and the half marathoners broke off to their finish, it became a lonely road for the marathoners. At mile 10, I found myself running down the Wantagh Parkway with about ¾ to ½ a mile spacing between the runner ahead of me and the runner behind me.

Ran with West Side Runner, Omar Villegas, in Long Island.
We met and chatted at the Brooklyn Half.

The runner behind me caught me at the halfway point, which began a series of us passing each other back and forth up to about mile 21. He pretty much stayed ahead of me during that time except for when we took water breaks, where he would stop and let me pass him. He’d come back without saying a word and I continued to stay focused on running my own race. After the turn around on the Wantagh Parkway, as we were headed north, I noticed he started running zig-zags along the route. At that point, I thought about how inefficient his running seemed and thought for sure he would burn out and I’d eventually pass him for good.

Was this race really that boring that marathoners are running zig-zags just to keep themselves entertained? I later met him through social media, and again in person at the Brooklyn Half, where he explained that the zig-zags were to prevent muscle cramping. At mile 21 he came to a complete stop at the medical tent and enjoyed some rest and water. I kept going, left to navigate the rest of the route almost completely by myself, with very little spectators along the route, and very little direction from course marshals.

My pup, Boston, and I picking up
my race packet at Nassau Coliseum.

It was at that point where I started to fade and realized that my hopes at obtaining a BQ was a long shot. The heat started to become a factor with the temperature reaching over 70° F.  I pushed along feeling like I would have a little energy for a strong finish, but at mile 24, the same heat induced dizziness I experienced in Miami started. I knew at that point BQ was totally out the window and I just had to finish. It was there the zig-zag runner (I later learned his name was Omar and he ran with the Westside Runners Club) caught me and never looked back. I began to adjust my speed so that I could catch him or finish closely behind him. It wasn’t a full sprint but I definitely exerted all the energy that I could find from within to keep up with him. However, my hamstring told me I overdid it, forcing me to come to a complete stop. I yelled in pain as my hamstring cramped up (this time mile 25 and a half) in yet another marathon. After shaking my leg out for about a minute to let the blood flow, I caught the two runners that passed me to finish strong. I was happy with the finish, because it was a PR at 3:18:12. Yes, Long Island is designed to be a faster course compared to most marathons. And yes, the smaller race means less crowds and more room for efficiently running the course from the start. But a PR is a PR, and it is still a tough marathon; one that requires self-discipline and controlled pacing. There are no crowds to provide that extra energy boost and lift your spirits. You run miles 10 through 24 with practically no other runners in sight. And of course the heat! Several faster runners, cramped up and was unable to finish this race. So I am certainly proud of this one, as it set off my summer of intense training, like no other year as I continue my quest for Boston, gearing up for my next two marathons.

A PR in my Hometown 

With the exception of immediately after the Lehigh Via Marathon, I normally take at least two weeks off from running so my body can recover following a marathon. But I had the Brooklyn Half in that two weeks so I need to keep the blood circulating with a series of recovery runs that included a 12 mile long, soft surface run the week before. Recovery doesn’t necessarily mean no running at all. Rather, slower runs while your body heals itself after an intense endurance workout like what I went through at the Long Island Marathon. A massage a couple of days before the half and totally avoid Central Park Track Club intense speed workouts had me ready for the Brooklyn Half.

No matter what happened, my intention was to just have fun with this race as it was a celebration of all the hard work I put in over the winter. A three-day pre-party before the half, seeing so many runners participating and enjoying the atmosphere, it didn’t matter what my race time would be. I was there to enjoy and let the chips fall where they may.

Boston and I posing at the Pre-Party
 at the Brooklyn Piers

I went from running a boring but intense marathon, to an energy filled crowded half marathon in my hometown. The crowds lined up to cheer all along the course. The energy was almost as intense as the TCS New York City Marathon back in November. The cheers did help me run strong and it didn’t hurt that this was probably one of the fastest half marathon courses that could ever be designed. Only a small hill in Prospect Park, which I was used to running over 1000 times during my training runs, was the only real obstacle. The straightaway on Ocean Parkway stretched from mile 8 to about mile 12 that allowed runners to really pick up speed if they had it in them.

Just as I passed the 11 mile mark, I caught up to one of my old run leaders and a sub-3 hour marathoner, Josh Fox. Talk about an in-race confidence boost, as I caught him I said, “I know you aren’t going to let me beat you!”

Posing with sub-3 marathoner and former
run leader, Josh Fox, at the Brooklyn Half finish

He replied, “Today you just might.” He was clearly having a bad day. As run leader, he was accustomed to leading an 18 to 20 mile long run every Sunday that probably took a toll on him that race day. We exchanged some words about the Long Island Marathon as I let the blood flow evenly through my legs at this brief, slower pace we were both running. I took in some Gatorade and splashed my body with water at the final water stop. I can hear him saying to me, “David, you’re making me tired!” as he slowed down to pose for his paparazzi along the route. I had to finish strong.

That brief slow down helped me avoid yet another hamstring cramp as my legs were starting to feel the familiar burn, before my catching up to Josh. I don’t remember ever running that fast on a straightaway except for maybe track workouts. I saw the 800-meter mark and I adjusted to a 6-minute/mile sprint. This continued onto the ramp for the boardwalk with the finish line in sight. Josh had managed to catch me and we ended up finishing almost simultaneously. He gave me encouraging words and congratulated me on my performance. I was just so filled with joy as I crossed that line because I broke new ground with this half marathon PR at 1:27:14.

The Real Takeaway

The Boston pursuit continues and with each race, I can see progress and improvement. And as I get closer to achieving this eventual goal, I path I’m taking really is an enjoyable one. After a grueling marathon in Long Island, Brooklyn just felt like one big celebration that included a half marathon PR as a bonus. With 26,482 finishers (the largest half marathon in the country this year), it was a stark contrast to the lesser-known RxR Long Island Marathon. In my opinion, the Long Island Marathon s one of New York’s better-kept secrets. If you want a low key marathon, that will test your self-discipline and inner focus, while running a course with minimal elevation changes, then the RxR Long Island Marathon is definitely for you.

The real takeaway from both these races was the interaction with other runners and volunteers. The new friends made and positive energy felt at both Long Island and Brooklyn. The old friends that I saw that continued to give me positive words. These make my running pursuits worthwhile.

I sometimes contemplate on why I continue with the runner’s life style. My thoughts always bring me back to my early Team In Training days. It just so happens that the Long Island marathon is exactly 5 years after my first marathon in New Jersey. And when I think back to those New Jersey running days, I think about all the people I’ve met along the way. The positive words, the encouragement, the great examples from these inspiring people are what keep me hooked. My fellow runners are what keep me going. The timing of these interactions is almost flawless as I receive something motivating from someone, at whatever level they are at, whether they are having a good or bad day, right when I need it.