Pre-Race
My wife, her cousin, and I were all sharing a hotel room and had agreed upon a 5:30 am wakeup call to be out the door by 6:15. Breakfast consisted of bread and peanut butter and although I tried to stomach a few slices of banana, I couldn't bring myself to get any down. For some reason, my body cannot deal with the consistency of a banana.

Part of our pick-up packet for the race was a free metro-card for Sunday so transportation to the race was pretty easy. The train was crowded but that's to be expected. Baggage drop-off and port-o-johns were stationed along the walk to the starting line so it was pretty easy to follow the flow of traffic and still make all the necessary stops along the way. Before we knew it we were all set and ready to go in our respective corrals. We were slightly disappointed that they didn't sing the Candian National Anthem before the race as we'd been looking forward to but mostly I was just excited to get started!

Miles 1-3
By start time, the temperature had already crept into the mid-to-high 70s, they were announcing updates in the corrals but they were in Celsius so I have no idea what the actual number was but I wasn't too worried about it yet. I typically have trouble coming out of the gates too fast in races so I was very conscious of my speed crossing the starting line and was checking my watch frequently to keep myself in check.

To help ease into the race, I'd downloaded Hannibal Buress's "Live from Chicago" comedy album as the first half of my race playlist. My breathing was steady so I decided not to worry too much about specific pace, and just focused on exertion. Especially with the heat, I figured I'd keep track of my exertion and make pacing decisions along the course. The first 3 miles were spent running around an amusement park on an island in the St. Lawrence River so it was easy to relax and just take in the scenery.

Miles 4-6
Four miles into the race the heat was definitely noticeable but not overbearing. I was walking through every water station to get down a few sips of Gatorade and staying in the shade when I could. We crossed onto the second island and were now running around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Formula One racetrack. This segment was a little tough mentally due to a few long hot straightaways, but endurance wise I was feeling great.

To help everyone deal with the heat, they'd opened up a few fire hydrants along the course but I was too nervous about soaking my electronics to run straight through them. I usually grabbed an extra cup of water at the aid stations to dump down my back though. By mile six I was feeling pretty confident that this was going to be one of my better races.

Miles 7-9
At mile seven we crossed back into the city and started working our way downtown. They'd also installed a misting tunnel on this leg that immediately made me forget about the heat (even if just for a moment). I'd passed the halfway point and my legs were still feeling strong. It was here that I made the decision to really push through the end of this race.

I was hot, but not too hot. I knew that as long as I stayed conscious of my breathing and increased my pace gradually I would be alright. This is definitely where training was paying off because I was so much more aware of my ability. I'd run a five-mile pace run at under an 8:00 pace so when I was down to 5 miles left in the race, I was feeling confident in my ability to keep pushing.

Miles 10-13
We knew that the race would be finishing uphill and the first big hill I faced was at the end of mile ten. It was tough and many chose to walk to the top to conserve energy. I slowed slightly but remembered the countless hours I'd spent drilling hills in high school cross country practice, my coach telling us to push harder when others slowed down on hills, that could make the difference in the race.

I fought the urge to slow down and pushed through the first hill. The hydrants along the course began looking a lot more appealing at this point so I tried to run through them as much as I could without soaking my gadgets. With only 5k left, I felt great and started pushing for closer to an 8-minute pace or faster. The hills made it tough but I tried to make up for it on the level segments.

The Finish
I've danced with finish-line anxiety in the past so I was worried I'd gas myself before the end but my breathing stayed steady. I was panting pretty heavily but it felt good. The finish line was in Parc La Fontaine so when the park came into view I really kicked it into gear and I couldn't have felt better crossing the finish line. 1:51:33.

I was a little less than 2 minutes off of my PR but this was easily the best I've felt about a race performance. I was able to stay calm throughout the whole race while continually evaluating how I was doing so far and what was still possible. Although I didn't quite hit negative splits throughout, I started close to a 9-minute pace and ran the 13th mile at 8:04 according to my watch.

Looking ahead it's time to shift gears and begin focusing on the Run Inspired 10k coming up in just a few short weeks, and beyond that, I'll be running yet another Rock 'n' Roll half in Las Vegas! As long as I can keep up my same training regiment, I feel pretty good about running my first 10k and am even more excited to get in one last half marathon attempt in 2017!

Official Splits
5k: 00:27:30
10k: 00:54:08
Finish: 01:51:33

Cheers!

When race weekend arrived, we all met in New Orleans on Friday night, checked into our Airbnb, and made some plans for Saturday. Trying to fit in as much sightseeing as we could before the race. We had breakfast at Slim Goodies (an absolute must if you’re in the area), stopped for a drink at Cooter Brown’s (another crowd favorite), made a quick stop at the race expo, then headed to NOLA Brewing Company to enjoy the afternoon. Abita used to be our brewery of choice, but after discovering NOLA last year, it’s hard to justify the trip across Lake Ponchartrain for Abita. There’s still a place in my heart for Abita, but after their expansion, the tasting room just doesn’t have the same laid back relaxed atmosphere that I enjoy about most craft breweries. NOLA Brewing on the other hand has plenty of brews on tap, 2 floor tasting room, outdoor space, plenty of games, and AMAZING BBQ with 10 or so different choices of sauce!

Miles 1-3
After starting RnRBrooklyn off with a comedy album this fall, it’s become my new favorite go-to audio to start a race. It keeps things light, and reminds me to ease into the race rather than starting too strong. For this race I had TJ Miller’s (ALBUM NAME) which turned out to be a great choice! As I mentioned, this is my favorite race, so the first few miles were full of excitement as I took in the familiar sites of downtown New Orleans. I started to feel a slight burning in my shins early on but it subsided pretty quickly once I’d found my stride. It felt good to run, and I was feeling great as I made the turn down St. Charles for the race’s main “out and back.” It was around mile three that I had the sobering acknowledgement that I really hadn’t prepared for this race, but at least for now, I wasn’t worried about that.

Miles 4-7
Although I knew my legs would probably be throbbing before the end of the race, miles 4-7 were phenomenal. There are always plenty of spectators along St. Charles offering hilarious signs, words of encouragement, and the occasional tray of beignets or Jell-O shots. Another thing I love about this section of the race is that you can run along the streetcar tracks. Having started my running career on cross country trails in high school, I always love races that get me off the asphalt and onto the dirt. I was feeling great as I turned off of St. Charles and passed a sign that said “You’re running this race better than Trump is running America.” I was about halfway to mile eight when I started to feel the tightness creep through my legs, especially through my hamstrings and calves.

Miles 8-10
When the pain started setting in there was a noticeable change mentally for me. I’d known this moment would come so I’d made my mind up that once I’d gotten off St. Charles, I’d walk 10-20 seconds after crossing each mile marker to give my legs a bit of a rest. This combined with the remaining aid stations, I figured I’d make it through alright. Crossing mile eight, I was still confident, only 5 miles to go, I’d done that plenty of times. Closing in on mile ten however, I wasn’t so sure. I kept recalculating my pace in my head and trying to play out different outcomes in my head. Having to make a quick bathroom break, I was back on the road, and starting to worry about coming in under two hours. I was keeping an eye on my overall pace but wasn’t sure how much my walk-breaks were impacting that. Running passed Cafe Du Monde didn’t help as the aroma of fried dough consumed me. Nevertheless, I kept going, but had accepted that I might come in just over two hours.

Miles 11-13.1
The last 2.1 miles were the toughest. I was taking a walk break at the start of every mile, through each aid station, and maybe one or two more times when my legs were really screaming. I wasn’t only walking, but also trying a few dynamic stretches on my calves and hamstrings to try to relieve some of the building tension. It was at this moment however, I made the commitment to come in under 2 hours. Even with the walking breaks, I was confident that if I focussed on pushing through the pain as long as I could, I would make it. Running the last stretch of road that leads into City Park, I heard a familiar tune come through my headphones. No Cigar by Millencolin could not have come on at a better time. You can checkout the lyrics, but the song I first remember hearing while playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater is all about setting your own standards and breaking the mold. I could see the finish line and saw the clock at 1:59 as I crossed. I’d made it in at 1:59:05, the race was over. I’d cut it pretty close, but not quite as close as my 1:59:24 time from RnRPhilly.

The End
Looking forward, the race was a humbling experience. I’ve always been a natural runner, and in high school I was able to run a decent 5k with much training. It’s been hard to shake that mindset but especially after my last few races, I know my body can’t keep taking that abuse, especially if I want to keep improving. I bought the Rock ‘n’ Roll tour pass for 2017 so I have at least 2 more races to run this year. Looking forward at the near future, I want to take some time off of distance running and focus more time and energy on strength and flexibility. This is an area I’ve always struggled with during training so I figured I’d use my “off-season” to develop a routine. Hopefully by the time it starts warming up I’ll be able to settle into a more dynamic training program, and who knows, maybe next March I’ll be ready to crush my PR.

As the race weekend arrived, I already felt better than I did driving into Philly. I was certainly nervous, especially about the morning commute, but somehow I just felt more comfortable. This was also my wife’s first half marathon so I was eager for her as well. My mom and sister drove up and crashed at our apartment and together we had an AMAZING pasta dinner. We drank, we ate, and then we guzzled some Zzzquil so that we could attempt to achieve 8 hours of sleep before our 4am wake-up call.

We had to get into Brooklyn a little early to replace our lost bibs (whoops), but that ended up paying off because we had time to find comfort in a non-portable restroom before arriving at the start. This was my 4th Rock ‘n’ Roll (RnR) race, and so I figure it’s about time I really give a shout out to the crews that put these races together. After forgetting our race packets on the LIRR, I called the customer service line the night before the race and my call was answered on the first ring! The staff member on the other end quickly assured me that it wouldn’t be an issue and that we could get replacement bibs and gear bags at the starting line, as long as we arrive a bit early. Not only did we replace the essentials, but they were also able to replace our race shirts as well. This was an especially meaningful gesture for my wife so she had a commemorative shirt for her first half. I can’t thank the RnR crew enough for how amazing these races have been.

Miles 1-4

Now I have to say, this recap may be a bit brief, I took my time writing this report so my memory of the little things has faded a bit. Lining up in the corrals for RnR Brooklyn, I was a bit nervous, but not nearly as much as I had been in Philly. Maybe it was because I’d just run Philly so, at the very least, I knew I could finish, but lining up at the start, I was itching to go. As we crossed the start, my stride felt comfortable but I was also hyper aware of my pace. I’d burned out at the end of Philly and I didn’t want a repeat. For that reason, instead of pumping tunes during the first leg of the race, instead I opted for a John Mulaney comedy special. In training I often run with an audiobook and listening to standup turned out to be a great way to stay calm and collected, especially at the beginning of the race.

Miles 5-9

Miles 5-9 were the big “out and back” so I did feel a bit of dread as I began that journey but I wasn’t as aware of the distance as I had been in Philly. I didn’t struggle to maintain pace, or worry about my breathing, I felt comfortable. The mile signs seem to fly by and I was ecstatic as I rounded the corner at mile 7 and started heading back. This is where the game of trying to find my family began. I had started a few corrals ahead of them, and my pace is a few minutes faster so I spent just as much time searching the crowd as I did trying to crunch numbers and estimate where I’d pass them. I’ve always been terrible at mental math so it’s a great distraction in the middle of a long run. Sure enough, right around mile 9 I saw the crowd of pink shirts (we were all dressed for breast cancer awareness) and we all cheered and high-fived as we passed. It was also at this point that I realized my pace could slow to well above 10-minute-miles and still come in under 2-hours so my spirits were high.

Miles 10-12

At this point I was looping back towards Prospect Park. The first hill came in the form of a ramp up onto an overpass to cross over the road we’d run out on. Although it was relatively steep, it was a pretty short obstacle so I was feeling good about the race as I reached the top and started breezing back down. Entering the park was a different story. At first, the I felt like I was back in high school coming into the final stretch of a cross country meet. The path funneled into a narrow chute surrounded on both sides by a tightly packed crowd cheering us on. This went on for a half mile or so before the crowd thinned again and the road began a subtle uphill shift. Miles 11 and 12 were brutal. The hills were not steep but they were constant. The flat periods were just long enough for you gain a sense of relief before sending you back up an even steeper segment.

Mile 13

Finally, at about the 12.5-mile mark, the trail evened out, and even sprinkled in a few downhill segments. This was it, I’d made it to the end and I’d come in well under 2 hours. The course was windy so it was hard to determine just how close we were to the finish but I didn’t have any trouble holding my pace. There was a final turn and all of a sudden the finish line was only a tenth of a mile away and I remember the sighs of relief coming from the entire pack of runners around me. We perked up, and my stride lengthened as I dashed towards the finish. I’ve never gone from so elated to so nauseous as I did crossing that finish line but I didn’t care about that. I’d knocked almost seven minutes off my time in Philly coming in at 1:52:47 and it felt great!

The End

At the finish line festival, we not only got to celebrate our finish with the obligatory Michelob, but for running both Brooklyn and Philly, we were given a SWEET new commemorative sweatshirt for free. Do I sound like a spokesperson for Rock ‘n’ Roll yet? Now it’s time to prepare for winter training but I’m happy to say my wife had an awesome experience in Brooklyn and will be joining the team for RnR New Orleans this year! See you in February!

Despite lack of preparation, the race weekend was amazing. Don’t get me wrong, the race was brutal (more on that next), but I love Philly and getting to spend the weekend walking/running through the city with my family couldn’t have been better. We even had time to fit in a few rounds of “One Night: Ultimate Warewolf” (one of the greatest games ever imagined). And enjoy a couple of Dogfish Head’s new Sea Quench Ale, a new summer favorite of mine. Then came the running part.

Miles 1-5
I’m sure it comes as no surprise that this race didn’t come all that easily after I’d only managed a five and a half mile run during training. I knew this race was going to be physically demanding so I also knew I had to be ready mentally to tell myself to keep going. Starting out, miles 1-3 flew by. Perhaps that was because my estimated finish was 1:45 when I signed up, so in keeping up with my corral I was flying through the early miles at a pace that would have been perfect had I been running a 5k. Nevertheless, I was feeling good, I felt my legs loosen up and I felt light on my feet. Miles 4 and 5 followed suit. Mile 4 was a gradual incline but I knew that meant I’d be coming right back down through mile 5 and my support crew was waiting at the bottom to cheer me on. Then began the out and back along the Schuylkill River which I had actually been looking forward to since the course map had come out. Although I had envisioned picturesque views of Boathouse Row, I very quickly became painfully aware that every step I took met another step coming back on the other side. Four miles out, four miles back.

Miles 6-8
As you can imagine, miles 6 through eight were particularly tough mentally. Although it wasn’t terribly hot, it definitely wasn’t cool, and the air was thick. I felt like I was pushing through the air which was not something my legs could manage. It was also around mile eight that I noticed how vastly different each mile had been emotionally. This could have been because I’d chosen to put the entire Black Parade album into my playlist to celebrate its 10th anniversary, but I had run the gamut from joyful, to dismal, to bitter, to almost numb. Some miles flew by and some seemed to go on for hours.

Miles 9-12
Mile 9 was a definite turning point both literally and figuratively. We literally were crossing the river to turn back towards the museum which meant every step I was taking was closer to the finish line as opposed to the last 4 miles leading me the wrong way. The finish line was beginning to feel within reach it was here that my legs really started to let me know they weren’t happy. Even my feet ached which was a sensation I’ve never really had mid-race. I’d walked through every aid station already to give myself a quick respite from the pounding of the asphalt but after mile 9 I started also walking and stretching for 10-20 yards at each mile marker. As I got to mile 11 and 12 I was becoming very aware of how close I’d be cutting it to the 2 hour mark.

Mile 13
As I crossed into mile 13 I glanced at my watch and saw I had just over 10 minutes to complete the last 1.1 mile, I thought that final tenth of a mile might kill me. Coincidentally, I had selected Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything For Love” as the last song in my playlist and it had queued up just before I’d crossed into mile 13. Now because I’d chosen the full version of the song I knew there was somewhere between 10 and 11 minutes left so I just had to finish before the end of the song and I’d be in under 2 hours. Better yet, if I got into the chute before Lorraine Crosby kicked in I knew I’d be golden. I can’t tell you how far into the song I actually got before crossing the finish line, by that time I was too enthralled by the crowd. What I can tell you is I came in at 1:59:24, a little too close for comfort.

I was exhausted after the race, but I still managed to snag a picture with Rocky, and we even ran up the art museum steps singing “Gonna Fly Now” the whole way. Now it’s time to set my sights on Brooklyn (which finishes uphill). I definitely have some training to do if I’m gonna continue the sub-2-hour streak.

Training
I have to be honest about my training for this run; it was just about non-existent. Having just finished the Rock n’ Roll half marathon in New Orleans, I decided to take a “week” off of running which lasted a bit longer than anticipated. Going into the Beau Biden Memorial 5k, I was mostly relying on any endurance I’d managed to maintain from New Orleans.

Race Strategy
My strategy was simple: don’t stop running. I haven’t run on a trail in years, but memories of high school cross country races came flooding back when I realized we’d be racing less than a mile away from my old coach's favorite park for drilling hill repeats. Glancing over the elevation report for the race confirmed that this course would be packed full of peaks and valleys so I’d be happy to cross the finish line able to say that I’d run the entire race.

Kilometers 1-3
The race started and I was in high spirits. Vice President Joe Biden surprised the crowd, walking out during the pre-race announcements to say a few words and had teared up a bit during his opening remarks. My adrenaline was pumping as I crossed the starting line and the first mile blew by. I wasn’t listening to music and I try not to glance at my watch during races but I couldn’t believe how fast the first mile marker had come up. Similarly, as I passed by the 2nd marker, I became more suspicious about my supposed pace. So far the hills were brutal but the immediate downhills provided an excellent opportunity to catch my breath. I was still going strong when I saw the 3rd marker up ahead and checked my watch to confirm my suspicions; they had marked kilometers, not miles on the trail. Mentally, it was a tough blow but I tried not to think too much about it, focusing instead on the 2 kilometers left to go.

Kilometers 4 and 5
At this point, we’d been up and down so many hills and around so many bends; I was struggling to figure out where we were in relation to the finish line. The race was brutal and I was woefully unprepared for the terrain. After running through the dark, chilly, creek filled "Tunnel of Love" my shoes were soggy, my hands were frozen, and I was ready to finish. There were two particularly brutal hills in the final kilometer of the race, and by this time, most of the runners around me had resorted to brief walking breaks to rest their legs and catch their breath. Climbing the final hill I saw Biden spectating from the top and I knew I couldn’t let him catch me walking. I was moving slow but I pushed myself across the finish and almost hurled on the other side.

Post Race
The race was brutal. It was cold, it was wet, and I doubt that there was more than a hundred yards of flat ground the entire time. It was tough, but I managed to finish in 27:35 coming in 17th place out of 218 overall and 3rd in my age group. Unfortunately I didn't get to stick around for the awards, but I rewarded myself with a deliciously refreshing Sneak Attack Saison from 21st Amendment Brewery.