I'm having a fundraiser for Fred's Team, so all NYers are welcome to come on down! And if you're not a NYer, come on down anyway!
Fast Feet and Fast Fingers -- a Double Benefit for Fred's Team and NYSCRA
July 20, 2011
5:30pm-8:30pm
Ward III, 111 Reade Street
Here's the invite:
Drink. eat, and do good at the same time!
Meet, mingle and have a delicious bespoke cocktail or three prepared by the amazing Michael Neff and the Ward III bartenders. Happy hour prices will be extended for the duration of the event. We get a percentage of the bar, so come thirsty!
Proceeds will benefit both the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research at MSKCC and the New York State Court Reporters Association's legislative fund.
Drinking cocktails has been scientifically shown to improve speed, both on the steno machine and on the track.
All are welcome -- you don't need to be a court reporter or a runner to come and have a good time!
Click here for the link to the Facebook page!
Hopefully going to go over the top with the fundraising for the triathlon at this event, so fingers crossed.
Saturday was the Boomer's Cystic Fibrosis Run To Breathe 10K in Central Park. It was also a post-long-run Fred's Team soiree at one of the assistant coach's apartments. I have a friend with CF who runs with Team Boomer, so of course I wanted to do the race. But I needed to talk with the Fred's Team crew about the aforementioned party and some of the logistics. What's a girl to do?
Both, of course.
Before I begin, this was my training week:
Monday (July 4th) 23 mile bike ride, 30 minute excellent swim
Tuesday attempt at speedwork (no slow twitch muscles left after Monday.)
Wednesday 11 mile bike + 1 mile treadmill (indoors obviously, as I did not bring a treadmill outdoors)
Thursday 5 mile run
Friday nada
13 miles on the schedule. Got a late start, thanks to Spot, who somehow konws that I'm getting ready to leave and becomes instantly needy, so of course I must tend to her. How do cats do that? Semi-related note -- also, how does Spot take the pill, eat food, drink water, and THEN manage to cough the pill up? Did she learn this trick at kitty prison? Don't get it.
I wanted to take the miles a little slow, but I also wanted to get to the corrals for the race with enough time to find my friend. Also -- and this is not a slam on my friend at all -- my friend is slower than I am, and I knew we'd be walking a bit during the race. So it was okay if I burned myself out a bit on the first half.
Bought a new pair of VFFs -- even though I'm still miffed at them -- and I wore them for this run. Now, here's a new discovery. VFFs aren't really shoes, they're more like socks with a thin rubber sole to keep glass from cutting your feet to ribbons. That being said, apparently one needs to break them in the same way one breaks in a new pair of actual shoes. Or to put it another way, one's first run in brand-new VFFs should not be 13 miles long. I developed a blister in the one spot on the VFF that one could possibly get a blister, and that's on the middle of the inside side of the right foot, where the one seam is.
Another new and semi-unfortunate discovery was my new shorts. At the JackRabbit NY Running Expo, I discovered the Zensah brand of running and compression gear. Bought a couple of bras and a pair of shorts and fell in LOVE with this brand. The shorts are snug, they go down to the knee, and they have what I will call an ass pocket, so it supports your tush without mushing it. Alls I want is more of those shorts!! Went back to JackRabbit -- not there. Paragon -- nope. CitySports -- no. Bizarrely, no one carries running underwear anymore, either. Bras, yes. No panties. Why is that? Paragon only had one kind of running panty, and they used to have rackfulls. Anyways, I digress from my digression. So I ordered a pair from the Zensah site. They arrived Friday, and I was psyched to wear them for the 13 miler. Turns out Zensah doesn't even carry those shorts anymore. The ones I bought were plain old compression shorts. They have since been redesigned or discontinued, and what I got instead was a high compression short, which meant that instead of my thighs being gently squeezed and supported, they felt like two sausages stuffed into a too-small casing.
Oh, yes, the race. Do my seven miles and make it to my friend's corral as the singer is finishing up the Star Spangled Banner. Ordinarily perfect timing, so there's no real cooldown between the run and the race. Bad timing when trying to find a friend, because at that point all the corrals are moving forward, and it's a crush of people. Grr. I look around and can't find him. Okay. I figure I'll catch him on the run. Enough time, since it takes so long to really get moving, I sit down on a post and, for lack of anything better to use, attempt to stuff a Jolly Rancher wrapper into my shoe to cover the blister.
Start walking forward, and wouldn't you know it, my friend, who is much smarter than I, is waiting closer to the start line, outside the corral, watching for me. So he jumps in and we take off.
It's a humid day, and warm, and that didn't help anyone, least of all my friend. Still, we get a fair bit up Cat Hill before the first walk break. We do a combo run/walk through the race (one full loop of the park) , and my friend keeps apologizing to me for being slow and this not being a good race for me. Okay. First of all, blister and sausage legs. Second of all, went out too fast for first seven miles. Third and most important of all, he's my friend, and STFU. It's a much better race slow and with his company than fast and without it.
We stop at the south end of the reservoir to meet my friend's friend, a fellow runner with CF, who runs with an oxygen tank, and waited with him while he changed tanks. What's my excuse not to work out? Don't have one no more.
Anyways, we cross the finish line, and head over to the VIP tent to try and meet Boomer himself, but the imperious lady guarding the tent wouldn't let us pass, even though Boomer was standing right there. We probably would've got by had my friend been wearing his Team Boomer shirt. Alas, not so. Denied. However, where we were standing, we got to see the friend with the O2 tank cross the finish line, which was pretty cool. Then we went over to the Boomer Esiason Foundation tent and bought t-shirts (performance fabric AND tagless -- way to go, Boomer!) because we were both very sweaty and heading directly to other events -- he with fellow Team Boomer people, me with fellow Fred's Team people.
We crossed the finish line in about 1:20, which, had we not stopped to wait, would have been more like a 1:15, which is, let's face it, not that shabby a time, especially since my friend has not been keeping up with regular running and the conditions were difficult for folks without breathing difficulties. And quite frankly, on my own, I probably would have only been about 10 minutes faster and not had nearly as much fun. So who gives a crap about time? Not me.
Showing posts with label 10k. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 10k. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Looking for Donors, Two Product Reviews, and the Merrill Lynch 10K
Today's addition to the Fred's Team Honor Roll is
PATRICIA BURDETT
bringing the total going to the Aubrey Fund to
$300
There's a ways to go before November 2, but I'd love to get a big chunk of money for the Fund now. It would be great to go into training knowing that I had your support, and even better, it would be a boon for Liam Witt, the incredible little guy I'm running for this year (see my previous post for more information.)
Won't you sponsor my NYC Marathon run and give more children like Liam a fighting chance at a normal life? Please click here, or my Fred's Team link at the side and bottom of the page.
I recently contacted Saucony, my shoe of choice, for sponsorship. I haven't heard back yet. I'm hoping for a $10,000 donation from them; it's what I asked for, along with enough shoes to get me through training. I may be a little delusional in hoping they'll read my humble story and help me out. But you never know. I would really love for a corporation or a business or just some nice rich person to give me a major donation for the Fund in Liam's honor. Not that I would stop fundraising, you'll all still get the entreaties, but it would just be so great for Liam and the Fund, and a real boost for the Team. Hint hint. I'd be happy to shill for whatever product you sell, or whatever business you may be in, and I can tell you from knowing so many people who have been helped at MSKCC and from visiting the pediatric ward there, it's an amazing feeling to know that you are playing a part in MSKCC's many success stories.
Okay, onto the running portion of the show! Two product reviews for you, and the Merrill Lynch Bull Run 10K.
First off, the ipodjuice.com battery replacement kit. In addition to a sexy new Nano, I also have a 30gig iPod Photo (the one they made just before the first Nano came out.) That warhorse has seen me through a lot of traveling. Well, it's almost 5 years old, maybe more, and it wasn't holding a charge as long as it should. So instead of sending it to Apple for a replacement battery, which would have cost Lordy knows how much, I spent $35 for the ipodjuice kit and did it myself. The instructions were very clear, and I will agree with ipodjuice's statement that the hardest and most frustrating part of the whole thing is opening the iPod. But once that was done, it was a fairly straightforward operation, and the whole thing took maybe 30 minutes (20 of those being opening the iPod.) The iPod works great, and it's really holding a charge. Plus they'll take your old battery back and dispose it properly. Thumbs up! If you're remotely handy and need a new iPod battery, check the site out.
Second, since you have all heard me complain bitterly about my hatred of humidity, I decided to invest a little $$ in some BluBandoo products. BluBandoo makes "cooling headwear and accessories." As I need all the help I can get, I ordered a hat (which came with a neckband) and a doo-rag. What makes their products different is that in the bands, there are what feel like granules. When you soak the bands, the granules swell up and it forms a kind of gel. The gel retains water and "coolness" and stays that way for hours. I tried the neckband out just sitting in the theater and I will admit, it felt really good. I have yet to try it in action, mostly because it's in the car and I keep forgetting to take it out and use it. I've been wearing the doo-rag for my last two runs and I'm not as satisfied with it. Maybe it's because the headband is dark-colored, or maybe because it covers my whole head and the material isn't very breathable, or maybe because I don't need the cooling point to be at my forehead (or all three,) but it doesn't cool me the way I think it ought to. I haven't tried the cap yet, but it's white and mesh, so I have high hopes for it. So I will give BluBandoo a thumbs-up, but not for the doo-rag, although it is black and red flames and does look good.
Lastly, the Merrill Lynch 10k. This was a 5k/10k /walk put on by the Boca Raton Road Runners. The pamphlet said to be at Spanish River Park between 5:30 and 6:30am to pick up race numbers and chips for a 7am start. My friend Sean decided to join me, so at about 6am I pulled up into the park and got my stuff. They put their timing chips on ankle straps and give you the whole gizmo, very civilized and nice! I started stretching at a picnic bench, and at 6:30 they started announcing that the race was starting at 7:15. Huh? The guy next to me asked what was up. Apparently their race promotions listed three different start times: 7, 7:15 and 7:30. So 7:15 was the compromise. Great. So Sean and I settled in for the long haul, when what do my eyes spot but a familiar orange-and-purple jersey. A Fred's Teamer! Here! I ran over to him, he was a nice guy named Gabe who used to live up North but was now a South Florida resident. He ran with the Team in 2006, which was my first year. Cool! I didn't wear my Team shirt -- I only have the singlet down here, and I got a little sunburned on my shoulders a few days beforehand, so I wore a shirt with sleeves.
After three trips to the loo (what else did you expect?) they called us to A1A for the line-up. It was a relatively small race, less than 600 between the 5k and the 10k. They sang the National Anthem, and then they said, "Two minute warning." Huh? Still delaying, very annoying. At about 7:20, the gun. This was the first race I've run where they don't time the start, just the end. It wasn't that big a deal for this race, but I prefer a start and end mat.
The route took us down A1A, one of the most scenic roads in the area, from Spanish River down past Red Reef golf course, at which point we turned into a development, one of those Golf and Country Club places. The 5k people turned around just inside the entrance and headed back, the rest of us kept going. I'm a fan of running through developments, especially rich ones; I love looking at nice houses and fantasizing about owning them. But to have a gated community road as part of a race course seemed a little strange to me. Maybe I'm used to Central Park, where you don't deal with that so much. We ran through the development, a very twisty and windy road that led to a cul-de-sac and a turnaround.
I was a bit nervous at the start of the race, with my hydration and humidity issues still somewhat unresolved, but I was feeling really good for the majority of the race. There were four water stops for the 10k, which would have been fine for a 7am start, but as we started late, it started getting hot around 8am and I could've used some Gatorade or maybe one more stop. I walked all the stations and drank every drop of water, but by mile 5 I was starting to feel a little queasy. I was keeping track of the miles with my stopwatch and the kilometers with the Nike+, although I could tell that it was off when it marked the halfway point a good three minutes before I arrived there. I was maintaining a negative split pace (from an 8:50 first mile to an 8:30 fifth.) By mile 6 I was ready to hurl, not from speed but from dehydration. I saw Sean at the finish line and knew that if I hurled in front of him, I'd never hear the end of it. So I sucked it up -- literally -- and gave it a final sprint.
10k in 53:18 according to the chip, 53:11 by my watch. About an 8:36 per mile pace, which is where I want to be right now in my conditioning. When we start Team training I'll be ready for hard work, but with lots of room for improvement.
The Boca RRC semed really nice, they had a pancake breakfast laid out in the park, plus bagels, cookies and lots of water and Powerade. If I'm down here again, I'll try to hook up with them. My times don't mesh with theirs too well, but maybe they'll be doing some long runs in the early AM on a weekend that I can tag along.
Finally, guess what's STILL on Military Trail?
PATRICIA BURDETT
bringing the total going to the Aubrey Fund to
$300
There's a ways to go before November 2, but I'd love to get a big chunk of money for the Fund now. It would be great to go into training knowing that I had your support, and even better, it would be a boon for Liam Witt, the incredible little guy I'm running for this year (see my previous post for more information.)
Won't you sponsor my NYC Marathon run and give more children like Liam a fighting chance at a normal life? Please click here, or my Fred's Team link at the side and bottom of the page.
I recently contacted Saucony, my shoe of choice, for sponsorship. I haven't heard back yet. I'm hoping for a $10,000 donation from them; it's what I asked for, along with enough shoes to get me through training. I may be a little delusional in hoping they'll read my humble story and help me out. But you never know. I would really love for a corporation or a business or just some nice rich person to give me a major donation for the Fund in Liam's honor. Not that I would stop fundraising, you'll all still get the entreaties, but it would just be so great for Liam and the Fund, and a real boost for the Team. Hint hint. I'd be happy to shill for whatever product you sell, or whatever business you may be in, and I can tell you from knowing so many people who have been helped at MSKCC and from visiting the pediatric ward there, it's an amazing feeling to know that you are playing a part in MSKCC's many success stories.
Okay, onto the running portion of the show! Two product reviews for you, and the Merrill Lynch Bull Run 10K.
First off, the ipodjuice.com battery replacement kit. In addition to a sexy new Nano, I also have a 30gig iPod Photo (the one they made just before the first Nano came out.) That warhorse has seen me through a lot of traveling. Well, it's almost 5 years old, maybe more, and it wasn't holding a charge as long as it should. So instead of sending it to Apple for a replacement battery, which would have cost Lordy knows how much, I spent $35 for the ipodjuice kit and did it myself. The instructions were very clear, and I will agree with ipodjuice's statement that the hardest and most frustrating part of the whole thing is opening the iPod. But once that was done, it was a fairly straightforward operation, and the whole thing took maybe 30 minutes (20 of those being opening the iPod.) The iPod works great, and it's really holding a charge. Plus they'll take your old battery back and dispose it properly. Thumbs up! If you're remotely handy and need a new iPod battery, check the site out.
Second, since you have all heard me complain bitterly about my hatred of humidity, I decided to invest a little $$ in some BluBandoo products. BluBandoo makes "cooling headwear and accessories." As I need all the help I can get, I ordered a hat (which came with a neckband) and a doo-rag. What makes their products different is that in the bands, there are what feel like granules. When you soak the bands, the granules swell up and it forms a kind of gel. The gel retains water and "coolness" and stays that way for hours. I tried the neckband out just sitting in the theater and I will admit, it felt really good. I have yet to try it in action, mostly because it's in the car and I keep forgetting to take it out and use it. I've been wearing the doo-rag for my last two runs and I'm not as satisfied with it. Maybe it's because the headband is dark-colored, or maybe because it covers my whole head and the material isn't very breathable, or maybe because I don't need the cooling point to be at my forehead (or all three,) but it doesn't cool me the way I think it ought to. I haven't tried the cap yet, but it's white and mesh, so I have high hopes for it. So I will give BluBandoo a thumbs-up, but not for the doo-rag, although it is black and red flames and does look good.
Lastly, the Merrill Lynch 10k. This was a 5k/10k /walk put on by the Boca Raton Road Runners. The pamphlet said to be at Spanish River Park between 5:30 and 6:30am to pick up race numbers and chips for a 7am start. My friend Sean decided to join me, so at about 6am I pulled up into the park and got my stuff. They put their timing chips on ankle straps and give you the whole gizmo, very civilized and nice! I started stretching at a picnic bench, and at 6:30 they started announcing that the race was starting at 7:15. Huh? The guy next to me asked what was up. Apparently their race promotions listed three different start times: 7, 7:15 and 7:30. So 7:15 was the compromise. Great. So Sean and I settled in for the long haul, when what do my eyes spot but a familiar orange-and-purple jersey. A Fred's Teamer! Here! I ran over to him, he was a nice guy named Gabe who used to live up North but was now a South Florida resident. He ran with the Team in 2006, which was my first year. Cool! I didn't wear my Team shirt -- I only have the singlet down here, and I got a little sunburned on my shoulders a few days beforehand, so I wore a shirt with sleeves.
After three trips to the loo (what else did you expect?) they called us to A1A for the line-up. It was a relatively small race, less than 600 between the 5k and the 10k. They sang the National Anthem, and then they said, "Two minute warning." Huh? Still delaying, very annoying. At about 7:20, the gun. This was the first race I've run where they don't time the start, just the end. It wasn't that big a deal for this race, but I prefer a start and end mat.
The route took us down A1A, one of the most scenic roads in the area, from Spanish River down past Red Reef golf course, at which point we turned into a development, one of those Golf and Country Club places. The 5k people turned around just inside the entrance and headed back, the rest of us kept going. I'm a fan of running through developments, especially rich ones; I love looking at nice houses and fantasizing about owning them. But to have a gated community road as part of a race course seemed a little strange to me. Maybe I'm used to Central Park, where you don't deal with that so much. We ran through the development, a very twisty and windy road that led to a cul-de-sac and a turnaround.
I was a bit nervous at the start of the race, with my hydration and humidity issues still somewhat unresolved, but I was feeling really good for the majority of the race. There were four water stops for the 10k, which would have been fine for a 7am start, but as we started late, it started getting hot around 8am and I could've used some Gatorade or maybe one more stop. I walked all the stations and drank every drop of water, but by mile 5 I was starting to feel a little queasy. I was keeping track of the miles with my stopwatch and the kilometers with the Nike+, although I could tell that it was off when it marked the halfway point a good three minutes before I arrived there. I was maintaining a negative split pace (from an 8:50 first mile to an 8:30 fifth.) By mile 6 I was ready to hurl, not from speed but from dehydration. I saw Sean at the finish line and knew that if I hurled in front of him, I'd never hear the end of it. So I sucked it up -- literally -- and gave it a final sprint.
10k in 53:18 according to the chip, 53:11 by my watch. About an 8:36 per mile pace, which is where I want to be right now in my conditioning. When we start Team training I'll be ready for hard work, but with lots of room for improvement.
The Boca RRC semed really nice, they had a pancake breakfast laid out in the park, plus bagels, cookies and lots of water and Powerade. If I'm down here again, I'll try to hook up with them. My times don't mesh with theirs too well, but maybe they'll be doing some long runs in the early AM on a weekend that I can tag along.
Finally, guess what's STILL on Military Trail?
More anon!
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