Episode 29: Bear Mountain
Listen To Episode 29
The NorthFace Endurance Challenge was held at Bear Mountain this week-end — with races from a 5K to a 50-miler — and our guest Todd, whose blog is TrailTodd, ran the 50K and reported on it, as did Amy, who captained an aid station on the 50-mile course. The reviews are very good:
- The courses are BRUTAL.
- The course-management is EXCELLENT.
Something to think about next year. As a bonus, Todd, of the Orange (County) Runners, clued us in on the various trails on the western side of the Hudson. These are not the smooth things we have on this side. If one wants a challenge, consider heading up to Harriman State Park. Amy said it took under an hour to get there from upper Manhattan, and a beautiful ride it was. You can get information from the New York New Jersey Trail Conference. Also, @palisadespark tweeted me with the website for the many many parks along the west side of the Hudson in both New York and New Jersey. (Here’s a virtual tour of Bear Mountain.)
Steve reported on another well-run race, the Newport 10K, and Frank reported on his Norwalk Mother’s Day 10K.
Joe mentioned two events held in conjunction with the Loucks Games in White Plains.
- Master’s Mile: Thursday night at 7:30. It’s a new Mondo track. A chance to run a track mile.
- Road 5K: Saturday at 8am: Nice flat course with a downhill-to-the-track finish.
Steve chimed in about the Forest Park 4-Miler in Queens on Sunday, May 15.
Episode 28: Store-Sponsored Training
Listen to Episode 28
Tavia spoke earlier about her experience with Paragon Sports’s weekly training sessions, and she reported this week on what other NYC stores do. She then sent links to the various stores where you can get information:
- The New York Running Company Time Warner
- The New York Running Company East Side
- The New York Running Company Bronxville
- Urban Athletics
- Paragon Sports
- Super Runners Shop
- Jack Rabbit
- NikeTown
- Ari joined a bit late, but he told us of his fine HM at the Long Island Half-Marathon as he prepares for his Vermont Marathon in four weeks.
- Frank also enjoyed his first Leatherman’s Loop up in Northern Westchester.
- And Amy gave an on-the-sidelines report on the Jersey Half-Marathon.
Episode 27: Race Etiquette
Listen to Episode 27
The issue: How is one to behave in a race? Steve stepped in as host and was joined by Amy, Brenn, and Karla. Bottom line: just use your head and be considerate. (Do we really have to tell people to make sure no one is in the line-of-flight when they spit?) If you’re wondering, this is the show for you.
Amy mentioned a Facebook thread. Here it is
A thread got going on aspects of race etiquette and we’re going to do a show on it. But what are your pet peeves about racing? The person who just stops in the middle of the course? The guys using the race as a workout and chatting the whole time? The gal who knocks down 5 cups when she’s trying to get 1? The person who cuts every corner? Not gripes about NYRR. Gripes about our fellow runners.
Episode 26: It’s a Scottish Thing; You Wouldn’t Understand
Listen to Episode 26
Joe, Amy, Steve, Brenn and Julie covered NYRR’s second club series race of the year, the Scotland Run, a 10K that covers the entire outer loop of Central Park and then some. Tales of bravery, near-pukery and other feats of derring-do abounded. Sadly, there was no bagpipe soundtrack (although the show did end with the sounds of a cat being strangled).
Steve clued us in to an upcoming panel on NYC Running Clubs, featuring members of this podcast, at the JackRabbit Sports NYC Running Show (an expo, not to be confused with this New York Running Show). And, finally, Amy talked about “the rules” — no, not those rules. The rules for proper pathway usage by cyclists and runners along the George Washington Bridge.
Episode 25: Going to Jamaica
Listen to Episode 25
A little bit of background noise at the beginning as TK was on a train, stopping in Jamaica at one point, and then The Lady Vanished. Until then, however, we were Spellbound by her bringing us up to date on the Paragon Sports weekly training. TK’ll be back with a broader grouping of other running stores that have regular group-runs soon.
Amy, Steve, and Joe were on board for the duration, which centered around a discussion about whether race directors, especially NYRR, are arrogant, which comes off a post Joe did for NYCRuns, What Has NYRR Ever Done For Us? The title of the post comes from:
The consensus: it depends.
Episode 24: This Week’s Racing
Listen to Episode 24
We — Amy, Brenn, Frank, Steve, and Joe — chatted about the various races done this week-end, from Frank’s adventure at FDR Park at the Mudders and Grunters 5-miler to Amy’s 15K PR at the Colon Cancer race in Central Park. With a shout-out by Steve for the inaugural Sleepy Hollow Half-Marathon.
Brenn brought up the misadventures of Charlie Engle, a participant in the Running the Sahara movie, who is now in federal prison. Joe Nocera wrote about it in yesterday’s Times. (Engle’s blog.)
Some other stuff came up as well. And a reminder, we plan a meet-up after the Scotland 10K on April 10.
Joe mentioned a movie he saw on Facebook. It is “They Came To Play.” Delightful. And interesting.
Episode 23: NYC Half
Listen to Episode 23
The 6th NYC Half-Marathon is in the books. We had on-the-scene reporting from a most-intrepid TK (who did a write-up on her blog too) and on-the-net viewing by the decidedly less-intrepid Brenn and Joe. We talked about the race. Amy and Frank were on too.
Frank mentioned his afternoon Solstice 8K in New Canaan, Connecticut. Frank, who’s been known to do an ultra or two spoke about, and to some extent took issue with, Christopher McDougall’s most recent installment, Born to Be A Trail Runner.
Karla couldn’t make it, but here’s her as-it-happened stream from the press tent:
- 7:30 a.m. They’re off!
- 7:37 The first mile split for the men is in at 5:02. Not so fast.
- 7:39 The first mile split for the women is 5:24. It bit faster, comparatively, for the women.
- 7:40 Some fun facts: 36,987 people applied to the 2011 NYC Half. 12,934 were accepted, but about 9,500 are expected to run.
- 7:48 The men’s Mile 3 split is 4:53. A bit faster, but still tepid. The women have also picked up the pace a bit.
- 7:52 More fun facts: 5,753 runners who got into the race are from New York, the most represented state. 4,427 are from New York City. After all the brouhaha from local runners about not getting in via the lottery, that’s got to be some consolation that New Yorkers are still the biggest group.
- 7:55 Just got word that there were 10,225 official starters today in Central Park. Which reminds me, for those who don’t know, the course follows a loop and a half of Central Park, shoots down Seventh Avenue through Times Square, across 42nd Street and down the West Side Highway to the finish at Chambers Streer and West Street.
- 8:00 The race is still in Central Park. Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil and Alistair Cragg of Ireland are leading the men’s pack. Ryan Hall was in 15th place at Mile 5.
- 8:03 Galen Rupp fell in a little course collision along with Peter Kamais. That doesn’t happen in road running! But Rupp is bouncing back.
- 8:05 It looks like Mo Farah of Great Britain is making a move a few paces ahead of the pack. Ah, but the pack reels him back in. Ryan Hall is 34 seconds behind the leaders. And Meb? Where’s Meb?
- 8:08 You’ve gotta love the guys who run with the lead women and get all sorts of camera time. #681 is all over the women’s camera.
- 8:10 The men are coming up on the Mile 8 marker and have left Central Park heading down Seventh Avenue.
- 8:12 The men’s lead pack is about 10 runners deep. Hall and Keflezighi are missing.
- 8:15 Mo Farah takes the lead again with Galen Rupp right behind him. The lead pack is down to about seven runners. And now Rupp makes a move!
- 8:17 Hall is a minute behind. Farah and Rupp keep trading leads.
- 8:18 Goucher is still running strong in the women’s pack, along with Kiplagat. The women turn onto 42nd Street, heading for the west side.
- 8:20 Less than three miles for the men. Rupp takes the lead again in his half-marathon debut.
- 8:22 Gebremariam and Farah reel Rupp in. Right behind them is Tesfaye Girma of Ethiopia.
- 8:25 Gotta run outside to see the finish…
- 8:27 Kara Goucher has fallen to fourth in the women’s race.
- 8:30 Farah, Rupp and Gebremariam are running three abreast.
- 8:31 Gebremariam makes a move. Farah, in his half-marathon debut is trying to catch him! He catches him!
- 8:34 Mo Farah of Great Britain wins the 2011 NYC Half in his half-marathon debut. Gebremariam takes second with Galen Rupp in third.
- 8:35 It’s a two-woman race coming down the West Side Highway. Caroline Rotich of Kenya and Edna Kiplagat have pulled away from everyone. And Rotich makes a move and puts some distance between her and Kiplagat.
- 8:36 From the sideline at the finish, it looked like Mo Farah had the biggest smile on his face as he broke that tape in 1:00:23.
- 8:38 Rotich has opened up a healthy lead. Kiplagat is in second and Kara Goucher is running third seven seconds behind Rotich.
- 8:40 Caroline Rotich wins, Kiplagat takes second and Goucher third.
- 8:41 Just got word that, unofficially, Keflezighi finished 15th and Hall finished 21st. Wonder if he’s rethinking coaching himself.
Episode 22: Mixed Bag!
Listen To Episode 22
We were joined by guest Diane Kenna, first woman across the line in last month’s Antarctica Marathon (and a New York Harrier). Tenth overall, she was only the fourth participant from New York City. She had a good time down south, and we were glad to have her.
Then some local stuff.
- Joe recapped local runner (Iona) Leonard Korir’s new NCAA 5000m record.
- Brenn reviewed the elites we can look forward to seeing at next Sunday’s NYC HM.
- Steve talked about his participation in today’s St. Patrick’s Day Run, put on by the Taconic Road Runners Club, up at FDR Park.
- And Steve mentioned a number of races yet to be, all listed on NYCRuns.
- Finally, and sadly, Julie gave a look back on marathoner Sally Meyerhoff’s life and career. Meyerhoff died in a cycling accident on Tuesday.
Episode 21: Coogan’s Revisited
Listen to Episode 21
Ari, Amy, Julie, Brenn, and Joe joined up to talk about the Coogan’s 5K, which all but Brenn ran.
And NYRR has a video.
Julie made reference to one of her posts, in which she referred to the Cuban cyclist Damian Lopez-Alfonso, who is looking for people to stay with while he’s in New York. Details here.
Finally, Amy passed on the rumor that Jack Rabbit Sports may be opening a store on West 72nd, between Broadway and Columbus, with lockers.
Episode 20: Coogan’s Bluff and Other Stuff
Listen to Episode 20
Julie, Brenn, and Joe, and for a brief period Steve, chatted about the final race of NYRR’s Thursday Night Races, at the Armory. And since we were figuratively up there, we spoke about this coming Sunday’s Coogan’s 5K, the first Club Race of the year. Secrets of the Course? We got ’em.
And what’s the state of track journalism? Brenn asked, commenting on a piece in the New York Times on a runner in Williamsburg. Brenn took particular issue (as apparently did many Brooklyn runners) with the following: “Among the first things I noticed when I started running was how few other runners I saw.” Get me Fact-Check!
And we had a bit of a follow-up on how badly runners treat cyclists in Central Park.
Next week: Julie and Joe and Amy and maybe others hope to have finished Coogan’s We’ll have their reports.
The New York Running Show 