Running Etiquette, Part 1

(Or Possibly The Most Disgusting Blog Entry You’ve Read Recently)

Snot-rocket! There – I’ve said it. That’s why I joined a running club, in fact: so I could discuss bodily functions and conditions such as digestive ills, blisters, and chafing in strange places, with relative impunity. Or at least without feeling like a freak. Too much. But just because we runners let it all hang out in discussion doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep things buttoned up a bit where etiquette’s concerned. I’m serious. Keep a lid on it, please. Or at least a Kleenex®. Observe: Runner Number 1 turns to empty his sinuses sans tissue. Or hand. You know: the aforementioned snot-rocket. Hapless Runner Number 2, just downwind, looks up, mouth wide open as he gasps for air... I’ll stop there. Not only is this just plain vile, but depending on wind, ambient temperature, viscosity, etc., could actually be dangerous. (Don’t even get me started on bacteria and viruses and the indignity of having to stop to wipe a stranger’s effluvium off your sunglasses. Or worse – out of your eyes.) Look before you snort, is all I’m saying. (Personally, I’d prefer if you’d hide behind a tree as well, though I suppose I’m in the minority on that point.)

Speaking of behind a tree, consider the forest your phone booth when nature calls. Or some shrubs, at least. Not a bridge railing, or the curb, or somewhere else that leaves you exposed to any passer-by with the misfortune of glancing your way just as you drop your pants. Or worse. And that’s only if a “proper” receptacle (portable toilet, public restroom, bathroom of a well-meaning but naive spectator) cannot reasonably be found.

Now let’s go back in time a bit, to before you’ve drunk the water or energy beverage or pre-race pilsener that made you need that tree to begin with. In the immortal words of the legendary Ed A. – “It’s a water station, people; not a water stop.” So act like a car and think gas station: signal your intent to grab race refreshment and slow down and look before merging – carefully – towards the outside lane. But don’t stop there: grab a cup – really, any cup will do – and keep moving until you’ve either drunk your water or found a place to stop on the side of the course and away from the flow of traffic. Don’t. Just. Stop.
O.K., we’ve covered intake and output, though not in that order. That should do for now. Let’s revisit running etiquette again next time – I promise to keep the gross-factor to a minimum if you leave us a comment with your biggest running etiquette question or complaint.

In the meantime, won’t you please settle a dispute for me? I stopped to use a public water fountain during a run last week but decided to continue without relieving my thirst after seeing a runner ahead of me rinse out her mouth and spit water back into the fountain. I thought that was repulsive and almost confronted her for what seemed like such a blatant breach of sports etiquette. I came home thirsty and ranting and was shocked – shocked! – to hear my husband say he does that all the time. What say you, dear Flyer blog buffs: take a step or two away and spit discreetly into the grass, or treat the public water fountain like your own personal dentist’s sink so that anyone unlucky enough to get there after you is forced to share your germs and watch your mucous spinning around and clogging up the drain?
Please do let me know! - The Ranting Runner

(Ed. note: Can you blame her for wanting to remain anonymous? All I asked for was a little Miss Manners and this is what I got... Be glad I added very few links, and chose images very conservatively.)

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New Flyer Profile: Stephanie L.

Hey Team,

MAL here again with another New Member Profile. This month we have Stephanie L., a recent addition to the Flyers, but a long time runner. She's been running since high school, in middle distances, but did not start running long distance until after college. Working long hours, sitting in front of a computer and snacking all day motivated her to get out there and start running. She hoped it would combat feeling sluggish.

A New Yorker since birth, she lives in the same neighborhood where she grew up. Moving out of her parents house meant moving three blocks down the street! Her close knit family is here and in Asia, and she speaks Chinese! In addition to running, Stephanie also enjoys scuba diving, snowboarding, playing softball and volleyball, traveling, and exploring exotic foods.

She joined the Flyers about a month ago. Formerly a solo runner, she wanted to start running with other people and join in the social aspect of the team. Since joining, she's enjoyed meeting and learning about people from different walks of life who also happen to love running as much as she does. Her goal this year is to qualify for Boston! If you see Stephanie out there on the road, give her a Boston High-5!
Her favorite running story involves food: "After the NYC marathon in 2008, my first meal was quite a memory. I was tired, nauseous and in severe pain. After it took what felt like an hour to finally exit Central Park through the crowds, the Shake Shack was the first restaurant I laid eyes on. It was the most amazing burger and milk shake I’d ever had in my life. I felt rejuvenated after the meal."

A few quick facts about Stephanie:
Favorite Quote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain
Training Tip: STRETCH! Many people don’t realize the importance of stretching before and after runs. Proper stretching helps to prevent most injuries
Favorite book? The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and anything else by JRR Tolkien

Favorite restaurant? Babbo (110 Waverly Place, NYC)
Favorite movie? “The Shawshank Redemption”

Stephanie traveled to studying abroad in Vietnam during the summers of 2004 and 2005 and says it was her most memorable. She also occasionally walks and talks in her sleep.

Welcome Stephanie! -Emily S.

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Dads on the Run

In the spirit of this past Father's Day weekend, now seems as good a time as any to write about Dads on the Run.

I remember as a little kid trying to out-race my dad. Are dads supposed to let their kids win? Mine didn't, and I would feel mad when he beat me. But come to think of it, I don't let our son, Mitchell, beat me. Maybe it's a guy thing?

My big sister, Ellen, whose father and husband and little brother (me) all are dads, doesn’t run. But Ellen says she thinks it's cool that I get so much out of my running. She never let me beat her in running races as a kid, either. Maybe I was just really slow.

My dad's nearly 80 now. He had a knee replacement last year. So now I finally can beat him in a foot race. I think. Maybe I should challenge him to a race. Although I'm still too tired from running a Father's Day race in Scranton on Sunday, so maybe I should wait a while.

Growing up, I was very close with my mom, whom my dad had the good sense to marry. She passed away when I was in college, and since then I've often felt that my dad says things he thinks my mom would have said, but that I think she probably wouldn't. Like when he worries about my running.

He says I run too much. He doesn't like when I run at night. He thinks I should gain weight. He worries that I'll get hurt from running.

But he also sounds proud when we talk about my running races, and I feel that it's brought us a bit closer together. He asks about my races, and he proudly tells people my marathon results.

However, I don't think I've done a good enough job at communicating when I've tried to explain why running is so meaningful and important to me. And maybe he doesn't do a good enough job at listening?

Regardless, a few months ago I hit upon an idea. My dad still works as a food broker spending much of his workday in his car, so I got him a book on tape to listen to while he drives. The book I picked is What I Talk about When I Talk about Running by Haruki Murakami.

I knew he'd listen to it since I got it for him. It's a book I enjoyed that I think expresses well what goes on inside the head of a runner.

It wasn't a panacea for father-son bonding, but to some degree I think it did the trick as intended. It served as kind of a spring-board to enable us to talk in greater depth about running, and he seems to have a better sense of why running is such an important force in providing more joy and balance in my life.

I've now been running for about four years, and as the Dad of two incredible children, of course both of the kids are following directly in my footsteps.

Well, to be more precise, our daughter Sabrina says "I hate running!" and "it's so boring." Sabrina's a competitive swimmer, and apparently swimming laps is far more exciting!

But since Sabrina is a competitive spirit, last month she decided to run a Central Park Reservoir Race for a school challenge that would get her name on a board at school forever (or at least for the next year or so) if she could run the 1.57 miles in under 11 minutes (6:58/mile).

Lucky me, I got to be Sabrina's pacer as about 50 kids, faculty, staff and parents turned out! She gave it everything she had, and came close, finishing in 11:48 (7:30/mile). It was our first race together, and perhaps our last. But that's okay. I won't impose my running on her if she won't impose her swimming on me.

Now on the other hand, Mitchell, our 10-yr-old, is firmly committed to his running future. Not that he actually runs. He plays hockey and is learning martial arts. But he does declare that he plans on running.

In the fall, Mitchell says he'll try out for his school track club. Maybe he will. That would be cool. Or cool if he doesn't. We all have to find our own stuff that we love to do. But, for now, I can quietly hold out some hope that he'll take up running and that we'll race together one day. Of course, I don't expect he'll let me win.

In the meantime, Mitchell had a blast handing out Power Gels at the Flyers gel station at the NYC Marathon. And he's enjoyed running the past few years in the Ronald McDonald House Charity Fun Run the day before each NYC Marathon.

Big news is that last month, my wife Liz started running. After just a few weeks of training, we even ran the Japan Day race together.

This is us at the Japan Day Run, June 2010

Like me with my mom, both of our kids are especially close with Liz. So my latest fantasy is that they may emulate her running even if my own running doesn't inspire.

And then maybe, just maybe, I'm thinking that one day we'll become the Kleckner Family Runners! Kind of like the Von Trapp Family singers in The Sound of Music who not only sang, but were quite speedy running across the Alps (though I suppose having Nazis chasing close behind didn't leave those Von Trapps much choice). But I digress.

Well, whether it's with my family or not, I expect running will remain an important part of my life for years to come. And I like to think that the happiness I derive from my running helps me to be a better person, a better dad, a better son, and a better spouse. If this is true, then I have something to celebrate every time I go out for a run!

Now run along dads. But please blog back with your own Dads on the Run stories when you get a chance. I hope you all had a great Father's Day. - Dave K.

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NYRR Father’s Day 5 Miler, June 20, 2010

Happy Father’s Day to all the Flyer dads! I hope you are all out enjoying the day with your families. In addition to being a day to honor and appreciate our dads, the holiday also signifies another great tradition – the annual Father’s Day 5 Miler in Central Park. It is always a fan favorite and a great way to raise money for prostate cancer, and maybe even get yourself on TV, since the race is sponsored and covered by ABC-TV in New York. Even Senator Chuck Schumer was out there today to start the race and wish everyone well.

“Wow, this is going to be a hot one.” “What’s the humidity out there today?” “I hope I don’t go out too fast.” When these are a sample of the quotes you are hearing at the start of the race, you realize quickly that you will probably need to brace yourself for a tough race ahead. The humidity was pretty thick, and nearly everyone at the starting line, including myself, was already soaking wet before the gun even went off. Due to the weather conditions, an extensive warm-up wasn’t necessary, although I got an unexpected one of my own. I left my apartment later than expected and had to run about 1.5 to 2 miles to the start, and got there with only a couple minutes to spare. After rushing to drop my bag off, I was worried that the corrals were already closed off and I would have to start at the back of the pack. Luckily, I saw a friendly face volunteering at my corral and she was able to sneak me in. Thanks so much Fran! It is good having friends and fellow teammates in high places.

After the gun went off, you had the feeling that some runners we holding back, while others regretted going out too fast and realizing they were only at mile 2, with several hills to go! The fluid stations were well stocked with water, as well as great volunteers, and the runners were taking full advantage of the plentiful fluids. Many people were taking two and three cups at a time. I even found myself putting one cup on my head, one down my back and finally one in my mouth. By the time the race was halfway over, the conditions seemed to be getter tougher, whether or not that was actually the case. However, there is nothing better to help you power through a summer race (well almost, but I’ll count it as summer), than seeing your Flyer teammates giving it their all as well. It was great to see all of the Flyers getting their day off to a good start by waking up early and running or showing their support, especially with this being a points race for the guys on the team. I saw a number of them out on the course, many of them passing me - Jon B., Siggy T., Joe J. - and many others out there cheering (thanks to Sarah D. and Amy S., I believe) and taking pictures (thanks, Brian, although I was well past you before you even recognized me).

Although the heat and humidity make for a difficult race, sometimes this is a good opportunity to push through tough conditions, test your mental capacity and prove to yourself that you can make it through to the end. Not every race can be in perfect conditions and not every race can be a PR. Days like this can make you stronger for future races, even though you probably want to just collapse into a tub of ice water after crossing the finish line. Mental strength is just as important, sometimes more important, than just physical conditioning. I raced in similar conditions during the New Jersey Marathon a few weeks ago, and it took everything I had to get through and finish, and I was glad that I did. You don’t know what you are capable of running, until you face some adverse conditions every so often (although hopefully not too often).

At the finish there was a big Flyer contingent, including John Whitfield, Lisa S., Lloyd H., Sean J., Glen W., Derek R., Anthony P., Eduardo F. and Sarah D., chatting it up about the difficult conditions of the race, as well as doing their best to dry off. It was great to see some familiar faces. Congrats to the Flyers dads who made it out – John, Jamie, Joe, and probably countless others who I did not see. Good luck to all the Flyer kids who were running their own race after cheering their dads on during theirs.

Now that the race is over, I hope you got out and enjoyed the rest of your Father's Day! See you all out on the roads soon. Cheers! - Brett S., Men's Sub-masters Team Captain

Jamie D. placed first for the Flyers's Men's Team in this Men's Points Race! Congrats, Jamie!

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Healthy Eating: So Fresh!!!

When summer temperatures settle in during June and July, I find that I typically take a moment to reflect back on my childhood summer days, the sounds of lawn mowers humming, ice cream trucks ringing and the sound of my neighbor’s basketball beating the concrete driveway for hours on end. Another charming memory, is the annual vegetable garden I used to tend to with my dad. We grew tomatoes, cucumbers, boston lettuce, corn, carrots, radishes, chives, spices to name a few. Need a tomato? Head out to the garden. Chives on the baked potato? Head out to the garden again! The fresh scent of the garden will always stay with me. I’ll always remember how fast we created a fresh, flavorsome salad, in just minutes.

This month’s blog is about fresh summer vegetables and how you can try to prepare quick, tasty salads that will nourish us as we train through the summer months, which are nutritious and delicious. OK, you don’t live in a penthouse and have a vegetable garden? Try (if possible) to visit some of the local green markets in your neighborhood, to pick up farm fresh vegetables. You will (for sure) taste the difference as well as support local farmers. If you don’t live near Fairway which has fresh produce at reasonable prices, try some of these green markets.

Don’t let Greece’s fiscal issues stop you from eating delicious Greek Salads! These are the fastest, easiest salads to prepare. Within 10 minutes, you’ll be set. One cucumber, One tomato, one cup crumbled feta, drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper (any other spice). Cube the cucumber and tomato, the rest is self explanatory. To add protein, you can dip some pita with some hummus on the side. The food markets are selling different crumbled feta, some with garlic, spices, etc., so that really jazzes it up. Super hungry? Add in your favorite grain (1/2 cup), it will become a super Mediterranean salad.

Need more crunch? Romaine lettuce (the lettuce you typically get with Caesar salads), will satisfy that craving. Try adding a cup of chick peas, as many grape tomatoes as you like. Slice up a grilled chicken breast (easy to grill up or pick up at a local gourmet market), and in no time, you have a satisfying healthful meal. This sounds like a Caesar salad, but it’s missing the gooey dressing, croutons and adding in other nutrients.

My last salad suggestion: leafy greens, sliced pear, drizzled olive oil, crumbled feta and grilled chicken breast. Effortless and filled with nutrients and protein. Don’t forget your grains, have some on the side to be sure to get in the necessary carbs.

Back to my top ten list (quoted from “101 Healthiest Foods”), the world’s healthiest vegetables: Asparagus, the cabbage family (asian greens, broccoli, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, green & red cabbage), dark green leafy vegetables, bell & chili peppers, mushrooms, Onions (all within this family), parsley, peas and tomatoes. If you try to select at least three out of this list each time you prepare a salad, you’re on a good start.

My last point of view... salad dressing is overrated (unless it’s sesame dressing). All of the flavors from the fresh vegetables, with a drizzle of olive oil and some spices, will bring out the natural flavors of your salad. Try it. You will save yourself a lot of unnecessary fat calories, and will start to enjoy the flavors of your creation to a higher degree.

Until next time... have fun, enjoy summer pleasures (real low fat frozen yogurt has calcium!) - Anne H.

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The Architecture Of Central Park, Part IV

This month I focus on another very special building on Central Park's west side:

The Beresford

West 81st Street at Central Park West

1929, Emery Roth

The Beresford, completed in 1929, is one of four Roth apartment blocks on Central Park West including the El Dorado, the San Remo, and the Ardsley. In the race to build bigger apartment houses in the Roaring Twenties, the Beresford ended the decade as the clear winner. Its façade faces both Central Park and the patch of green that was called Manhattan Square in those days, and its twenty-two stories are topped by three towers, while most of its neighbors settled for two. It was among the first with elevators whose doors opened directly into the apartments rather than into the central hallways. The massive block is open to the west, giving it a U-shape, wrapped round a central court unique in every way in New York City. The Beresford was one of the first buildings in the city to have glass-door showers with multiple shower heads

More about the Beresford at Wikipedia.com

 - Brian H.

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NYRR Mini 10K Recap, June 12, 2010

Baby bumps everywhere marked the 39th running of the NYRR Mini 10K! The Flyers had an outstanding representation of women with 71 ladies running the 10K race this past Saturday. This original women-only road race marked a revolution in women’s running by getting sponsors for the first time in a women-only field. The legendary Kathrine Switzer teamed up with the NYRR to start this race back in 1972 to get women to run. Today over 5,000 women finished the race in what has become a tradition in women’s running.

This 2010 race was buzzing with excitement. The Mini 10K normally gets elite women runners but this year there were 11 Olympians and two very special guests joining the field of women. The race started with Mary Wittenberg introducing two beloved elite athletes in the sport of running, Paula Radcliffe and Kara Goucher, to the crowd of eager women. Paula and Kara, both about five months pregnant, gave heartfelt opening speeches that inspired us all to have a good race. Paula ran the race with Mary at a leisurely pace (for her anyway!) and was joined by Kara 50 meters before the finish with Paula’s 3-year old daughter to cross the finish line together. World champion and silver medalist, Linet Masai of Kenya won the race in 30:48, the fourth fastest in the event’s history. Some lucky Flyers captured key photo ops with these running celebs – Lara K. and Angela G. posed with Kara Goucher for a great shot at the finish!

Many Flyer ladies had great races on a good day for running – though humidity was high with several misting stations along the course providing some relief. The first Flyer finisher was Vicky T. who had a strong race to come in at 40:02 and seventh place in her age group (35-39). Christine M. came in second for the Flyer women in 42:09 and an impressive third place in the 45-49 age group. Jessica R. was in third place for the Flyer ladies at 43:02, followed by Andrea K. in 43:43 at fourth in the 50-54 age group, with Liz O. at a fifth place team finish in 44:24. The Flyer women had a strong showing in all divisions with a ninth place Open finish, fourth place for the Masters Women, second place in the Veterans division and the Senior Veterans at a fifth place finish. Nice work ladies!!

Coming through the finish line and grabbing much needed water and snacks, the Flyer ladies convened to recap our races, still sweating from the humidity and posing for pictures with our carnations. Many of us have run this race several times, with Anne H. commenting this was her 25th running of the Mini – wow, give that girl two carnations! Others came in from outside of the city, including Gabi D., who had a great finish, and Donna R., who walked part of the course while cheering us on and taking photos. Donna, along with Paula and Kara, was showing off her baby bump at seven months pregnant and looking fabulous!

Thanks to all the Flyer ladies for coming out and making this a special day for the team and to the Flyer men for providing much-needed support and cheers along the course! The Mini 10K is and will always be one of my favorite races in that it reflects the true bonding of women through running – uniting us all, apart from where we may each be in our lives. - Deb M., Flyers Masters Women's Team Captain 

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A Leisurely 56-Mile Run

Comrades is billed as the Ultimate Human race and I found out why on Sunday May 30th when I was one of the “lucky’ novice entrants who were given 5,000 slots that sold out in a day after 16,000 slots had been filled by past Comrades finishers and get a confirmed entry for my first Comrades.

The results site lists 23,568 entrants with approx. 15,600 finishers but I have no way of knowing how many actually made it to the start, having dropped out through attrition, injury.....or perhaps finding their “sanity” and withdrawing from the race?

I’ve wanted to run Comrades for the past 15 years as it has always held a mystique and a lure both for its location and challenge to the mind, body and spirit and each would sorely be tested as I woke up at 1:30 AM on Sunday morning after arriving with Elle G. in Durban Friday afternoon about 3 PM after a grueling 14 hour non stop flight into Johannesburg where we then needed to take a second flight to Durban. Unfortunately I only got just 2 hours of sleep from 8-10 PM and just tried to relax in bed until the wake up and bus boarding at 2:30 for the 56 mile drive to the race start in Pietermaritzburg that would then follow the “down” route to the race finish, 89 km away in Durban.

The start in Pietermaritzburg amid lit up buildings was very orderly but often emotional with African chants and the playing of the South African anthem and at 5:30 AM we were off on our journey in darkness for the first hour until the sun came up and warmed a very chilly morning and I started to get into my ultra pacing rhythm until I fell about 5 km into the race, the first of 3 falls I would have during the race due to tripping on the reflectors on the road due to my own clumsiness and later fatigue.

Each year the race is either listed as an “UP” or “DOWN” year as far as either starting the race in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Durban or the reverse and for the 85th anniversary race we had a down course which didn’t mean we had it easy but just meant that most of the hills were at least in the early to mid stages of the race. The hills at Comrades while not particularly steep are instead as long as 2-3 Km and the resulting long down hills made you feel like your quads would just explode.

Things were going well for me through the 60 km split where I was on pace for a 10 or so hour finish and really focused on staying in the moment, feeding off the energy of the huge crowds that lined the race route, the helicopters overhead broadcasting the race which is televised nationally throughout the day in SA.

In American marathons we have pace groups that are organized and very helpful for those time goal determined but in South Africa these pace groups are called “buses” where you can either get on say a 10 or 11 hour bus and participate in the walk breaks or just run/walk on your own throughout the course. I basically started out with a 10 hour bus through the 60 km but as my body started to breakdown as well as my spirit I switched to an 11 hour bus and loved the chanting that the SA runners were singing while running and was really impressed with their energy, enthusiasm, comradeship  which was on display throughout the day with each runner calling one another.....brother.

My race unraveled at about the 70 km split with lactic acid having a field day on my quads, my stomach bloated and producing little urine (I would later need a post race IV) despite my drinking either PowerAde, cola or water which came in little plastic baggies you needed to carefully bite into or they would burst. I purposely ate often and would alternate between chips, oranges or cold potatoes dipped in salt to offset dehydration and nausea but as the kilometers slowly ticked down I was getting worse though I knew I would make the 12 hour cutoff but would not make my desired goal of a 10 hour finish.

I basically walked most of the last 9 km along with many others frustrated by my performance and inability to generate any running but with each step relieved that I would at least be one of the “lucky” ones to beat the cutoff and “conquer” Comrades which is the primary reason most come to Comrades from near and far drawn by it’s challenges and notoriety and wish to enter the stadium finish filled with thousands of cheering people and just cross the finish line before the human chain of men appear at exactly 12 hours and actually block those still approaching the finish from actually crossing the finish line.

In Ironman there’s a strict 17 hour cutoff but they let you cross the line though you are not listed as an official finisher but I’ve never seen anything so “cruel” or ruthless like I saw at Comrades as we were all screaming at the runners with just seconds remaining in the cutoff to make it to the finish and those runners who do not make the cutoff just drop from exhaustion and bury their heads in their hands prone on the ground.

In the end Comrades lived up to it’s billing and tested my mind and body like no other race has ever done and I feel both grateful to be a part of its rich history and to be among its finishers and to remember it always. - Scott C.

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Willing to Tri

No songs this week – my lyrics transformation creativity has run dry

Way back in 2002 I did the run leg of the Tupper Lake Half Ironman Triathlon with Scott S. (nice guy did the swim and the bike leg!). It was my first exposure to triathlons and I was sort of hooked. I say sort of only because in the intervening eight years. I’ve managed to complete five tri’s, including one this past weekend. I took a six year hiatus. Actually I don’t think that qualifies as a hiatus. I think that qualifies as “not doing those things any more”.

This time I have to say I think I bit off slightly more then I could chew (coach Scott C. is going to groan). You know that whole balance thing that I talked about a few months ago? Well add biking and swimming into the mix and the balance goes out the window along with the baby in the bath water. Now I know there are a lot of mom’s with more then one child who manage that balance. Me, well, not so good at it. I don’t know if it’s because despite my attempts at being truly organized, there are more occasions then I care to admit to when at 5pm I am still thinking about what to make for dinner, rather then making it before I need to rush off to the pool for my truly greatest multitasking achievement: swimming laps during Elizabeth’s swim lesson. Getting home at 6:45 with fifteen minutes before the hubby walks in the door with no dinner leaves three cranky people on the home front. I digress though.

Back to biting off more than I could chew and balance. So here’s the thing about tris that I noticed way back in 2002: they are incredibly family friendly. Granted, I have limited experience, but even on tv, you see the athletes surrounded by family, you see moms and/or dads running across the finish line holding onto two children and carrying one more (I am assuming the children are theirs and not rented for the photo op). Up at Tupper Lake, I saw parents high fiving their children as they crossed the finish line. Even at the smaller sprint tri’s that I did over the next year I saw similar scenes. Perhaps I got sucked into the “family spirit” when I signed up for my first ever Olympic distance tri. More then likely, not. I think I signed up because a) I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and b) I wanted to prove that I could balance everything.

Well, the good news: I finished, so I proved that I could do it. The bad news? The balance part, for training that is, didn’t go so well. Here’s what I realized, after having a few days to mull over what didn’t work so well. Running – went fine from a training perspective. I’m a runner. It’s easy to lace up those sneakers and put on the right clothes for a run.

Swimming, that actually worked out too. I was on top of getting my daughter signed up for swim lessons at the high school and I was able to swim for the half hour she was attempting to swallow half the pool. When she got moved up to the next level, which meant an hour long class for her, I had plenty of time to do the workout and shower before her.

Triathlons have three disciplines you say? Right, the bike. That’s just not my thing. See, while I have a nice road bike from 2002, my gear is mostly summer. I wasn’t ready to invest in “winter” clothes if this wasn’t going to be something I pursued (my free wheeling spending habits have changed since I got married – that darn husband!). Plus I really couldn’t figure out how to get the necessary rides in while juggling child, part time job and volunteer work. I’m not complaining, but I really couldn’t justify spending money on a babysitter while I went out for a ride. It wouldn’t go over that well with above mentioned husband!

Needless to say I did not spend enough time on it, so I have only myself to be annoyed at. Oh and the course, which when I went back and reread the description used words such as “technical”, “hilly” and “fast descents”, Ehm, see I have this thing about only having 2 skinny wheels of rubber between me and the road as my unchecked speed goes over 30 miles per hour on a country road with some bumps and a dump truck flying by me. BRAKES!!!!!!

So Saturday, I didn’t have the time that I should have with more discipline, but given the heat and humidity (and wet roads from the downpour as we were standing around the transition area). But I did have my family there; my husband and daughter were waiting for me at the beginning of the finishers chute and I had my daughter run across the finish line with me and put her arms up as we crossed for the photographer. She doesn’t know that mama didn’t do her best, all she knows and cares is that mama finished and mama got a medal. That’s the best thing in the end.

Does this mean the end of my tri career? No. It’s sort of like when you finish your first marathon – you swear you’ll never do it again and then you begin analyzing the race and by Monday morning you are ready to sign up for the next one. There’s a sprint one in July which starts and ends at a beach and I know that bike and run course will be flat. And then there’s another Olympic distance one in August. It also starts and ends at the beach and the bike and run course are loop courses in a park along the coast – also flat. And the bike training? Well, I think I can figure that out this time, especially since the weather is nicer and it’s light out at 5:30am…. The swim – yep, swim lessons are on the calendar again for my daughter. They are still an hour long, so that means I get to swim.

Balance and focus. Balance and focus. Stay tuned for how it goes over the summer. I still haven’t actually signed up for these races, but the mere fact I am contemplating them... - The Gabster

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Japan Day Race with NYRR Youth Program, Sunday, June 6/10

On a hot morning this past Sunday, 20 eager Flyers got up early to meet “their kids” and help them run the Japan Day 4-miler as race buddies for the NYRR Youth Program. NYRR has put increased emphasis on youth programs in the last couple of years to foster healthy, fit, and motivated kids by bringing free and low-cost running programs to schools and community centers. The NYRR Youth Program motivates elementary-school through high-school students to set and achieve personal fitness goals using the structure and popularity of a team to help kids learn valuable lessons about how to set goals and make activity part of their daily lives. We all know how much running does for our lives, so many of us wanted to give back to show kids what running can do for them.

Since Glen Wiener, Mr. President, is involved with coaching for Team For Kids, which raises money for these youth programs, he thought it would be a great team effort for the NY Flyers to be involved as race buddies for a day. Once volunteers were recruited everyone had to fill out forms and get a background check to make sure they were fit to work with the kids. Prior to race day we were each assigned a school we would be running with and told to meet at the Young Runners tent at 6:45am on Sunday to meet our kids.

Come race day, our group of Flyers all donned in NYRR red volunteer shirts gathered near the tent getting last minute instruction and waiting for our kids to arrive. One by one we were pulled to meet our kids and assigned to those that needed the most help in completing the 4-mile race. This was the first 4-miler for many of the kids so it was our job to help them through the race and provide encouragement throughout. As we helped our kids with their bibs, D-tags and last minute words of advice the 8am start was fast approaching. We all lined up towards the back of the start line with most of the kids running 13-16 minute/mile paces.

My team, Brooklyn Studio, consisted of 9 kids ages 8-10 with many having this as their first 4-mile race and first time running in Central Park! I was assigned to help 3 kids who had never completed 4 miles to successfully finish the race and have a good time. Having been involved with the youth running program already over the past several months, I had my strategy in place. We would run to a light pole, then walk to the next pole, run to the next pole, walk and repeat until we completed the race. Kind of like a speed workout for kids! I have learned that inexperienced kids don’t understand how to pace themselves and will sprint and then get so tired they can’t continue. So it is best to run at a moderate pace and then walk in order to complete any kind of distance in a race. I passed this advice along to some of my other Flyer race buddies and saw several others doing so successfully (though the kids would still like to get some random sprints in anyway!).

Throughout the race I saw many other Flyers and their teams, which made it so rewarding to see us all out there. Jocelyn and Nick with their Zodiac track team, Janet passing me with her MS 348M team, Ed with his kid from PS 72M and others at the finish who completed their goals of running their kids in. Brian fittingly was assigned to a 7-minute miler, Drew had a sprinter and Siggy helped a kid from IS 220K complete his first race with a strong finish before his friends. As I was coming towards the finish with my 3 kids – Ricky, Katie and Lia – they were tiring quickly but we all agreed to finish strong and cross the line together. As we ran in, my sprinter, Ricky, took the lead, followed by us girls holding hands through the finish line.

They did it – I am so proud of my kids! And so proud of all the Flyers who gave up their Sunday mornings and their own personal race time to run with these well-deserving kids. By the comments after the race and later in the day through Facebook and email, it was a good day had by all and a rewarding experience for everyone involved. We did good my fellow Flyer friends and you should all feel good about passing on our beloved sport of running to much deserved youth who need this to be able to better themselves.

If anyone is interested in getting more involved with the Youth Program please let me know and I would be happy to chat further. I have been active with this group since last fall and have volunteered at many races, track meets and other competitive events at the Armory and Icahn Stadium. I find it very gratifying to help these kids through a sport that has done so much for me. - Deb M.

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