A 13 Mile Run to Pierogies (With a Side Trip to Roosevelt Island)

Papa Bear, aka Richard G.,
is a long time runner and hiker
who likes to go "Outside the Box"

A Great Start for the New Year

Happy New Year! We spent the holiday at my son's house. We watched the ball drop in Times Square on television with the grandchildren and then listened to the last of the Classical Countdown on WQXR.org (Beethoven's Ninth was #1 again). The next day I did a nice 8 mile run. Temperatures were around 30° and it was partly sunny and with the recent snow narrowing the roads, there wasn't much of a margin for running (no sidewalks in the suburbs). But most folks slept late so the roads were pretty empty. Here's the route: New Year's Run in Natick. It was a nice run and a great start to the New Year. We got home on Wednesday and on Thursday morning I had a nice run in Central Park with my running partner Susan. Her broken arm is much improved and she's working hard to get back up to speed. But boy was it cold — mid 20°s, if that. I was one day short on my weekday runs but after the previous week's 20 miler, it was a recovery week anyway.

For today's run we literally chose the destination and figured out a way to get there while running 13 miles, this week's long run target. After Thursday morning's run, Susan said, "I'm in the mood for pierogies," and the rest was just detail. 

Click for on-line USATF Map

A Long Run to Pierogies

When you're running to pierogies, where else would you go but to Królewskie Jadlo on Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (yes, Manhattan Avenue is in Brooklyn). It's simply the best Polish Restaurant west of Szczecin!

Melissa was also coming but she wanted to just run 10 miles. And to complicate things, Susan's place is only about 5 miles from the restaurant by the most direct route, over the Queensboro Bridge (aka the 59th Street Bridge, aka the Ed Koch Bridge — hey, this is New York!).

Solution? Easy: Susan and I would do a 3 mile warm-up along the river, meet Melissa at 78th Street, go down and over the bridge, and then take a 5 mile side trip over to Roosevelt Island to check out the recently completed Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial at the south end of the island. From there we would take the usual route to Greenpoint (see the map above; click on it to get the on-line Google map version). 

The day started cold (around 30°) but with a cloudless sky and a good pace, we all ended up overdressed. It was just great running weather. As always, running down along the river and across the bridge was delightful. 

Yes, we waved at the tourists

And we were in such good spirits that we couldn't help but wave at the tourists in the Roosevelt Island Tram as it went by. I know, very unlike New Yorkers! 

Roosevelt Island and the New FDR Memorial

Roosevelt Island, with river views in all directions was superb. We got there via the bridge from Queens and did a partial circumnavigation of the Island.

The details are pretty simple: when you cross the Queensboro Bridge you will be running on the pedestrian walkway on the north side of then bridge. You run right over Roosevelt Island with great views of the island, the tram and both the Manhattan and Queens shorelines on either side of the island.

When you get off the bridge you are on Queens Plaza North at 25th Street. Make a 180 and run down along side the bridge — get on the right hand (north) side of the street. When you get to 21st Street, cross over and continue down the hill inside the housing project. The driveway inside the project is an extension of Quuens Plaza North. Continue on this driveway a couple of blocks and you will exit at Vernon Boulevard. Turn right (north) on Vernon and go past the huge Con Edison plant. You're almost there! Go north 5 blocks to 38th Avenue. This is the first thru street (with a traffic light) and it leads right to the bridge to Roosevelt Island. Cross the street and head west over the bridge — make sure you are on the right hand (north) side of the bridge. Once over the bridge, go into the parking garage building and go down the stairs, or take the elevator (wimps only) to the bottom. You are now on Roosevelt Island.

At this point we headed west on the streets to the west shore line (about ¼ mile) and got on the west promenade — Manhattan is just a stone's throw across the East River. Although there's plenty to see on the island, I'll just talk about the FDR Memorial, our target for today (I know, the real target was the pierogies). Head south along the promenade, under the Queensboro Bridge and continue as far as you can go to a chain link fence and you are at the entrance to the park. From the signage, the area in called Southpoint State Park. Besides the memorial to FDR, it contains the remains of the 1856 Smallpox hospital, and the 1909 Strecker Memorial Laboratory (the first pathology lab in the country). But the main attraction is the FDR Memorial, aka the Four Freedoms Memorial at the south end of the park (and of the Island). 

FDR Memorial Looking South

Bust of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Four Freedoms Quotation

Queensboro Bridge (behind) & 1856 Smallpox Hospital
Looking North from the Memorial

We had read a bit about the new FDR Memorial which had recently opened at the south end of the island, but the reality of it was stunning. Simple, yet perfectly placed to take advantage of the island's setting. You first come to a set of stairs with granite abutments on either side. It almost crosses the whole width of the island. When you reach the top of the stairs you see a long gradual tree lined slope whose width diminishes to a point. At the south end is the memorial with a bust of FDR facing north, and the quotation of a speech he made in 1941 enunciating the "Four Freedoms". Those of us of a certain age will remember the four Saturday Evening Post covers by Norman Rockwell illustrating these Four Freedoms. Here's a link to Norman Rockwell's Four Freedom Covers. It's worth a look.

The few pictures shown above will give you the flavor, but all I can say is you MUST SEE IT! 

Back on the Mainland and on to Greenpoint

Pleasure Boats 
Along Newtown Creek 

From there we got back off the island via the East Promenade and the bridge to Queens, and headed back towards the Queensboro Bridge, crossing under it at 21st Street. We then headed due south on 21st and zigged over on Jackson Avenue to the Pulaski Bridge to Brooklyn. As we crossed the Pulaski Bridge, with the stunning views of Manhattan, we were impressed by the string of pleasure boats anchored along the Queens side of Newtown Creek. This poor waterway, a Federal Superfund hazardous waste clean-up site, must be improving. Horray! 

After crossing the bridge, we stayed on McGuinness Boulevard to Greenpoint Avenue, then east to Manhattan Avenue and down the ½ mile or so to the restaurant.

Królewskie Jadlo — the Best Polish Restaurant West of Szczecin!

The Best Polish Restaurant
West of Szczecin

Królewskie Jadlo, our Polish restaurant, was our next and last stop. We can never remember, let alone pronounce the name. It's "kru-lev-ska yad-lo", which means "King's Feast" (Click for the web site). We always called it the "Rusty Knights" because of the two soldiers in armor which stand outside the front of the place. But we may have to call it the "Shining Knights" since the knights seem to have recently gotten a new coat of silver paint. Check out the picture.

Once we got there, we were happy. Happy for a good run and happy to be in this place. We each had the specialty: "Chef's pierogies stuffed with goat cheese and spinach with chanterelle mushroom sauce". The Polish beer (Zywiec, which I can neither spell nor pronounce) was also quite good. The next set of pictures says it all: 

And to make matters even better, on the walk to the subway, we spotted what looked like another great eating place (Spritzenhaus33). We'll be back to Greenpoint — count on it!

This account was adapted from a post on  Papa Bear's Running Blog: Beyond Central Park: A Run to Pierogies:

- Papa Bear (Richard G.)

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My Favorite Recovery Drink

Reyna F

During my last run, I was asked “Is it true that chocolate milk is a good recovery drink?”  The answer is “yes.” This has been backed up by a variety of scientific studies, the most recent in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Oct. 15, 2012, “Chocolate Milk...Post  Exercise Recovery.” This is a review article that found low-fat chocolate milk, which consists of a 4:1 carbohydrate:protein ratio, provides fluids and sodium to aid in post-workout recovery. Consuming chocolate milk immediately after exercise and again at 2 hours post-exercise appears to be optimal for exercise recovery and may attenuate indices of muscle damage.

One of my favorite studies that I like to cite was in the February 2006 issue of the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.  In three trials administered at one-week intervals, nine male endurance trained cyclists performed an interval workout, then drank one of three drinks after 2 hours of recovery. One group got standard 2% chocolate milk, another drank fluid- and electrolyte-replenishing Gatorade and a third group Endurox R4, a specially formulated beverage with a "patented 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein" and other ingredients aimed at replenishing muscle glycogen stores and helping rebuild muscle.  Four hours later they performed an endurance trial to exhaustion at 70% VO2max.  The study reported that the cyclists who drank chocolate milk were able to continue cycling about 50% longer than those who drank Endurox R4 and about equally as long as those who drank Gatorade.

There is a common factor in all the chocolate milk recovery studies – they are done on male cyclists, although there is one study on collegiate soccer players.  So what does that mean to us?  If you are a male endurance trained cyclist, chances are that chocolate milk is a good recovery drink.  What if you are a female runner?  There are no studies that prove the same benefits, but it will probably be a good choice after a bout of exercise. 

I recommend chocolate milk to all my athletes as a recovery drink.  Why?  It contains carbohydrates that are needed to refuel the muscles.  It contains protein that provides amino acids for building and repairing of muscle tissues.  Also, a little protein might give an athlete a performance edge by enhancing the insulin release, which aids in the transport of carbohydrates to the muscles.  It contains calcium, a nutrient that most adults don’t get enough of.  It is easy to make and less expensive than commercial drinks.  And it tastes good!

But what if you don’t consume dairy? Cow’s milk contains 12-13 grams carbs and 8 grams of protein for one cup while the same amount of soy milk contains 5-15 grams of carbs and 6 to 8 grams of protein.  If you drink soy milk, select one that is close to 12-13 grams of carbs and 8 grams of protein.  Make sure you purchase soy milk with added calcium and vitamin D. Almond milk contains 8 grams of carbs and one gram of protein.  Almond milk does not have sufficient protein or carbs to make a recovery chocolate milk. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t drink it; it just means you need to supplement it with additional carbs and protein for recovery sake.  

Eat well to run strong!

Reyna Franco, MS, RD, CSSD, CPT

www.reynafranco.com

reyna@reynafranco.com

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New Flyer Profile: MTP Runner Frieda E.

Frieda E

At age 7, I started swimming. Back then we were told that swimmers, because of their flat feet, cannot run. I swam competitively, on and off, until I moved to the Tri-State area in 2005. I soon realized that 50 meter and even 25 meter pools are not very common and often hard to get to, so I picked up salsa dancing and sailing with some occasional running in Liberty State Park.

In early 2009, a seasoned marathon runner friend of mine convinced me that if I could run six miles, then I could easily ramp up my training to run a half marathon and finish it in less than two hours. When I told my girlfriend about my running plans, she called me “slightly out of my mind,” but her boyfriend, a member of the Rotary Club of New York, instantly offered me a slot for the 2009 NYC Marathon in return for raising at least $3,000. My answer was: “Thank you, but I seriously think marathoners are crazy.”

Come the day of the half marathon (it was the final NYC Half that was held in the summer), and as predicted, I finished well under two hours. The following day, I contacted the Rotary Club: “If I can run a half, I might as well run a full. I will do only this one marathon, just to prove I can do it. Sign me up!”

I copied a program from the “Runner’s World” magazine; modified it from 16 to 11 weeks and reduced it to 3 to 4 times running per week. My marathon friend predicted: “Double your half marathon time and add about 10 minuntes; that’s what you are going to run.” He was right again. I finished well under 4 hours.

I Did It!

Of course, that was only the beginning. I got hooked like so many other fellow marathoners and was one of the first in line to enter the lottery for the 2010 NYC marathon. This time I joined a running club to improve my time. I finished the second marathon about 10 minutes faster than my first – and even qualified for Boston 2011.

I then signed up for the 2011 NYC marathon and stayed with the same running club. However, my plan didn't work to improve my time by another 10 minutes. I finished only one minute faster than the previous year. Even though I had qualified for Boston, I was more than disappointed. I attributed this to two facts: 1) In addition to running, I began competing in triathlons and together with the many NYRR races, for sure I had raced way too much; and 2) The running group made it very easy to “cheat” during workouts and never forced me to push beyond the limit.

At the Finish of the
Poconos Half Ironman

So it was time for a change. In the summer of 2012, my running friends Vicky, Andrew and I joined the NY Flyers Marathon Training Program (MTP). Suddenly it was all about VO2 max, speed-training on much shorter distances, and crazy long runs in the Palisades and across different bridges. The hardest thing? To convince my coaches that I would stick to my “not running more than 4 times a week” rule but nevertheless wanting to finish the marathon at least 10 min faster than the year before!

After Palisades Long Run
With Vicky and Andrew

To make it a bit easier, I signed up for Harrisburg, PA, as they advertised that it’s a ”fast flat course.” Little did I know. It is flat all the way up to mile 20. But then you have about 2 miles of short but really steep hills that hit you right when your energy level is at an absolute low…

At The Finish of the Harrisburg Marathon

But I did it. I finished – together with Vicky – almost 16 minutes faster than the year before! Three things are for sure:

1. Swimmers can run whether flat footed or not. 
2. I couldn’t have done it without the NY Flyers and especially not without my coach Neal. 
3. It’s ok to be crazy!

-Frieda E.

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Who Was Flyer of the Year? (a.k.a. I Demand A Recount!)

Dave K

"I demand a recount!"  

That was my first thought when my name was called at this year's Flyers Annual Awards Gala to come up and receive the Flyer of the Year (FOTY) award.  Apparently I was to believe that I received the most FOTY votes from the Flyers membership in the bitterly fought campaign (ha!) waged between me and the other three candidates.

Hmm, I wondered, since the vote was conducted on-line as part of the annual Executive Board election process, maybe someone accidentally hacked into the system and changed the vote count?

Surely, something was amiss.

But not wanting to cause a commotion (I was way too woozy on my one beer to cause a stir), I decided to simply accept the award and pretend I was accompanied to the podium by the three other nominees –– LARA K, GLEN W and MARK R.  If you haven't yet read about some of the many achievements and contributions of these three fine Flyers, or if you'd like to read about them again, please do so by clicking HERE.

Well, a few weeks ago, I'd suggested to the FOTY award nominees that it'd be great if whoever received the award would write something for the Flyers Blog since it's been sort of a mini-tradition started by the Flyers' first Blogmaster, Eric S.  Soooo, since the award was presented to me, I figured I better write something wise and eloquent.  But, instead, what's in this write-up is all that you're getting from me :)

One thing I would like to say is that the FOTY award, to me, isn't a personal award.  Instead, I feel that it represents the spirit of the Flyers and is an award that we all share together. It celebrates everything that is good within the Flyers, with that goodness extending well beyond any one individual.

The Flyers provide all of us with so many opportunities to give, to receive, to help, to love, to learn, to express ourselves, to care for and support each other, to squabble and then forgive, to run towards what inspires us (or away from what frightens us).  And to play together, dance together, and look amazing together (click here for pics of Flyers at the Gala doing just that, with a couple of samples, below).

Christine L, Alan G, Bo K, Julie W, Louie R

Bo K and Elle G
Looking Strong and Having Fun!

Of course we all have our egos, and mine is massively mighty.  Yes, it's flattering and feels good to be nominated and to receive an award.  There were lots of great awards received by lots of fantastic Flyers at the Gala (you can click HERE to see the list), and each recipient should feel proud ––  just as we all feel proud and happy for each recipient.  So not to worry, there's no false modesty intended here. My head is sufficiently swelled as I bask in my delusional glory :)

Nevertheless, my ego must confess that it believes that the FOTY award is important because it honors the Flyers.  It is the Flyers as a club in its entirety that each year is the FOTY, says me.

Sooooo, who was the FOTY in 2012, every year prior, and in each year yet to come? At the risk of not sounding gracious for being voted the award, I believe that distinction goes to the NY Flyers.

Congratulations Flyers for an award that all of us earn together and may enjoy together!  Just don't let it go to our heads

-Dave K, NY Flyers Blogmaster

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Antarctica Ice Marathon and Ultra: Back-to-Back

Howard C

My original goal (way back when) was running just one marathon and crossing "marathon" off the bucket list.  Then moving onto other things.  Instead, I became hooked.  Somewhere along the way, goals formed of running marathons/ultras in each of the 50 states and each of the seven continents.  After finishing a few marathons/ultras in the US, I decided that it was time to start running some races outside of North America, too.  I figured that I'd start off with a bang and do Antarctica.  Before I could change my mind, I sent off a deposit to secure a spot in the Antarctic Ice Marathon that was slated for November 20, 2012.  Looking back, I'm very glad that I did.

The Ice Marathon offers both a marathon distance and a 100 k ultra.  They are scheduled on different days, in case you want to do both.  I figured that there wasn't going to be much else to do down there, so I'd try running both races.  The marathon was scheduled first, so at the very least I could just finish that and play it by ear afterwards.  There was a scheduled day of rest between the two races.  This would help recovery.  In addition, I figured I'd try to get a picture of myself sunbathing in just shorts and sunglasses in Antarctica -- at midnight (with there being 24 hours of sunlight and all).  Sounded like a plan.

As instructed, I landed in Punta Arenas, Chile and went to the designated hotel to meet up with the race director, staff and the other participants.  Punta Arenas, it turns out, is quite a busy little city with lots of international visitors, as it serves as a gateway city for hikers, climbers and other visitors/tourists to Patagonia and Antarctica.

Punta Arenas, Chile

From the outset, there were two clear themes.  One, logistics were no joke, but extremely well-organized.  Our clothing and gear were checked over at the hotel by the logistics staff.  Anything missing or insufficient for polar conditions had be procured prior to boarding the plane for Antarctica.  Fortunately, Punta Arenas has lots of shops that accommodate this purpose.

The other theme was that we were totally at the mercy of the weather.  We had been instructed not to schedule anything important for at least a week after our scheduled return, as there could be significant delays.  While waiting for the weather to clear, some of us went running (of course!).  Just outside the hotel was a long strip along the Straits of Magellan, which provided an awesome backdrop for some great running.  A very windy run, but very invigorating.  After a couple of false starts, we finally were given clearance to take off.

For the trip over to Antarctica, we took a plane called an "Ilyushin IL-76," which is a Russian plane originally designed for use in Siberia.  After a noisy, cold, and somewhat nerve-racking trip, we landed on a frozen blue ice runway in the middle of Antarctica.  When the plane finally came to a stop, a great cheer erupted.

Camp was located on Union Glacier, a junction between various glaciers flowing down the surrounding mountains.  We were south of the Antarctic Circle, about 600 miles from the South Pole.  The Union Glacier camp is a semi-permanent camp that is in operation for several months each Antarctic summer.  It accommodates various visitors, including climbers heading to Mt. Vinson (one of the Seven Summits), photographers visiting Emperor penguin colonies, and hikers/skiers headed to the South Pole.  Camp accommodations were about as close to first class as you could expect for literally the middle of nowhere.

Things were definitely different than your usual camp though, besides the fact that it was just really, really cold (it got down to 14 degrees F inside my tent at night!).  First, there was a very strict "leave no trace" policy in effect.  For example, if someone spilled some coffee on the snow, someone would come dig out the spill and surrounding snow, then put it in a container for transport back to Punta Arenas.  Chile apparently has a small but very busy industry accepting and processing all the waste that is regularly flown in from Antarctica.

Bodily hygiene was a bit of a challenge.  Using baby wipes and hand sanitizer in frigid conditions is not much fun, especially in those, ahem, sensitive areas.

We were also sternly warned not to go outside of marked boundaries surrounding the camp, as those areas had not been scanned for crevasses.  The glacial ice underneath is constantly moving at a slow pace due to gravity, but it is pushed and pulled at varying rates, causing rifts and cracks.  Special sonographic equipment has be used regularly to make sure there are no crevasses underneath.  Camp and the race trails were safe.  As for the other areas, they were strict no go zones.

The marathon itself was delayed for a day due to windy weather conditions out on the back side of the course.  While frustrating, this gave us time to test out clothing and gear.  Out on a test run, it struck me how cold the wind could get when it picked up even a little, despite my "windproof" shell.  In addition, I realized how cold my feet could get when I wasn't actively running.  While we wore heavily insulated polar boots around camp, running was done in regular trail sneakers.  Even with two layers of socks (including thick winter hiking socks), my feet went numb in the sneakers while standing around.  On the other hand, the footing was surprisingly non-slippery.  The consistency is hard to describe, but was like a slightly crunchy, soft gravel.  Overall, it was clear that this was going to be a much different run than I was used to.

Finally, the weather cleared up enough to run.  Everyone was just so excited to run after so much preparation, travel and waiting.  Running conditions turned out to be perfect.  The trail was well-groomed from the night before.  The air was cold, but clean and refreshing.  There were mild winds that occasionally picked up a little, but nothing that couldn't be handled.  Most of all, the scenery was unimaginably spectacular.  Many of us just ran in constant awe of our surroundings.

One of the most striking things about Antarctica, actually, is just how much more pristine the air is down there compared to the rest of the world.  There is absolutely no haze in the air.  You can see everything in perfect focus all the way to the horizon.  This does, however, completely skew your sense of distance.  In the rest of the world, we are used to a certain amount of haze that makes things that are far away appear fuzzy.  With no haze, things that are far away in Antarctica, seem so much closer than they actually are.  The staff pointed to various mountains that one might guess could be about an hour's hike away, when in actuality they were more than 10 miles away and a full day's hike.  It was startling.

The course was two half-marathon loops.  There were a few aid stations along the way that served all sorts of snacks and hot water.  I never would have thought that I'd want to drink plain hot water during the middle of a marathon, even in polar conditions, but contrary to expectations, it really hit the spot and was really energizing.

The coldest that it got during the marathon was 14 degrees F, but that did not account for wind chill.  When I took my gloves off for a few minutes at an aid station once, I really paid for it.  It took several minutes of running afterwards to get the circulation restored in my fingers and for the pain in the fingers (quite severe actually) to go away.  Thoughts of my fingers falling off due to frostbite crossed my mind....

I took a nice easy pace, finishing in a comfortable 5:53+ (13:29 pace), trying to save something for the upcoming ultra.  In all, there were 48 Antarctic Ice Marathon finishers, with no DNFs.  The range was from 3:41+ to 7:55+, with the majority running between 5 to 6 hours.  Everyone was all smiles for hours afterwards.

November 22nd -- the day after the marathon -- was the 100 k.  Originally, there was supposed to be a day off in between, but it was lost when the marathon got delayed.  There were nine entrants for the 100 k, with four of us having run the marathon the day before.  It was 10 laps of a 10 k loop.  Unlike the marathon, this was a much less supported run.  It was mandatory to carry emergency supplies like a bivy and whistle.  Given that it took so long to finish the marathon, and with the in-between rest day gone, I decided to run just 60k out of the 100k race.  This would be a total of a little over 100 k over two days, which was more than enough for me.

Conditions during the 100 k were a little cloudier and colder.  I measured a low of 9 degrees F while I was out there.  I took my time, taking in the scenery and taking long breaks at aid stations to sit down, chat and eat lots of food.  I must have been burning a lot of energy because I practically took in a normal meal's worth of calories with each 10 k loop.  At the end of my 60k, I was still running pretty strongly, but I was glad to stop.  I knew that if I went another 10 or 20 k, it would become too tempting to just go ahead and try to finish the whole 100 k.  I did not want to risk injury or tempt fate.  Including all the breaks, I ran my 60 k in 10:41+, a 17:14 pace.

In all, there were seven finishers of the 100 k and two DNFs.  The winner came in at 12:06+ (11:43 pace, very impressive for the conditions out there).  The last finisher, a wounded military veteran from the UK, came in at 18:57+ (18:21 pace).  A few of the marathoners were still up reveling at the time (~3 AM) and walked the final 10k lap with him.

Overall, it was a great trip even if I didn't achieve two out of my three original goals.  DNF'ing the 100k was no big deal.  I was probably more upset about not getting a picture of myself in shorts, sunbathing under Antarctica's midnight sun, which would have been quite a unique little picture.  I did drink a little more beer and wine while in Antarctica than I ever would have guessed, but apparently it was not quite enough to get me out there in my skivvies.

Best of all, there was an incredible sense of camaraderie among the participants.  I made many new like-minded friends.  I also found out about some crazy other races out there to add to the so-called bucket list.  Like a crazy 250k multistage ultra through the Amazon jungle, a race through the jungles of Vietnam, and a marathon at the North Pole.... hmmmm.....

Happy running out there!

-Howard C

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