Winter Hibernation and Recovery

My winter running season is officially over upon conclusion of the 2016 United Airlines New York City Half. It was a learning experience to say the least. The words, "less is more" became more meaningful than any other time in all my years of running. If I'm going to have a strong Fall season, then shifting gears and getting the right balance of intense training and recovery is essential. 

Tight security and a cold 1st day of Spring #unitednychalf

This winter saw me take more frequent rest than in recent years. This aggravating hamstring has been a problem I can't seem to shake. I did a 17 day rest after the New Year (only running Joe Kleinerman at a slower pace), another 17 day rest after the cancelled Fred Lebow, and every other day workout with only high intensity once a week and at least 3 days rest before a race. It helped in allowing my legs to be fresh for all out racing but the post race hamstring pain would pretty much erase several days of healing time. 

It's colder out so it takes longer for your legs to warm up. Pushing the limits to reach my race pace to a sustained level probably caused some of the injured muscle fibers to abruptly undo any healing progress I made thus far. So after running races that sustained my fitness level (only PR at Washington Heights 5K at 19:03), another rest is in order. 

 

I'd say one more week of no running after a 1:29:58 performance at the United Airlines NYC Half. My teammates were great with motivating me to push through during the race. So many inspirational stories, such grit and determination. Mentally I'm at a state where I know I can do better. And Spring, my favorite time to build up my miles and speed is now upon us. As my relentless pursuit continues, the next stop: 2016 Airbnb Brooklyn Half. That's 2 months of honest preparation to give the best performance of my life! 

Bib #1090 at the United NYC Half Experience

Central Park Track Club Teammates: Felipe (Chile), Shane (Aussie), and I warming up at Whitehall Terminal before we celebrate our finish. #globalcitizens

Prelude to my NYC Marathon Dream.

The half marathon is certainly my favorite distance. Long enough to be a challenge but short enough not to devastate you. I have a good number of them under my belt since my Team-In-Training days, so preparing and training for one isn't as strenuous as it used to be. Today's NYC 1/2 is definitely worth writing a little something about. It may not have been my best performing race, but certainly my most fun half marathon.

Security was definitely on point with dogs and swarms of police in the pre-race and baggage areas on 59th Street. I was actually surprised at how cold it was. Up until a couple days ago, the weather man mentioned 50's (F) and it was hovering between 25 and 30 until the race start. So after emptying out early (lessons learned from Miami) and checking my bag in, I just made it to my coral before the national anthem. It was certainly nice seeing all the North Brooklyn Runners wishing each other the best and inspiring each other to be their best. Along with the crowds and the ABC-7 cameras I knew this was going to be fun.

So the gun went off and of course, I kept to my normal 7 to 7:30 min/mile pace. I haven't run in Central Park since the Joe Kleinerman 10K so I was a little intimidated by the Harlem Hills after mile 3. I took it slower than I should have and ended up costing me overall. A much faster NBR teammate advised me later that it was best to keep my splits at an even pace. Even though the hills are rough in the beginning, running them hard would have been ideal. I would be tired running down the West Side Highway but I would have held a faster pace. Instead, I ended up having to gun it after mile 11 to make up for any time loss. 

Oh well, it was fun. I couldn't help giving high fives to spectators along the side that stuck their hands out to me in Times Square. The wind after mile 7 and turning the corner down the West Side at mile 8, can also be a place that cost me some time. And finally, every time I wrap my legs, I tend to run slower. I wore the knee high socks because I wanted to keep my legs warm while wearing shorts. That has consistently resulted in shin splints. I'm certainly my worse critic. No race is perfect, and we get better with repetition. 

So with a 1:32:40. I am certainly happy. Post-race felt fine. Shins were a little sore but I didn't have the side stitch problem thanks to my new breathing exercises I learned in my last NBR form run. And I can't say enough about the crowds, especially entering Wall Street to the Finish Line. It was one big "NYC 1/2" sign that made you feel really special. Prepackaged post-race refreshments and the words of congratulations from the volunteers was the icing on the cake. Well done New York Road Runners, well done. If this is what you did for 20,000 half marathon runners, I can imagine what it will be like for the 50,000 marathon runners that run through the boroughs this November. Until then, I am patiently waiting for that dream to be fulfilled.