Cathy’s NYC Marathon Mania: From Spectator to Streaks, Peaks … and More!

Cathy C.

A Note from Co-Blogkeeper Melissa:

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Flyer Cathy Caulfield, a retired NYC Department of Education school teacher who now teaches pre-school and religion for her own enjoyment.  Cathy says that running the NYC Marathon is the second best thing she’s done in life, after marrying her husband (which takes first place). 😍

Cathy will tell you that her favorite holiday is Marathon Sunday. Is it mere coincidence that her birthday, November 5th, often falls on this cherished day? Maybe her love for this “national holiday” is innate. See what you think when you read what Cathy has to say about her love of running, the NY Flyers, and her marathon mania!

 

Melissa: Hi Cathy! Tell us about your NYC Marathon journey … from the beginning!

 

Cathy: Sure! In 1976, my parents drove my brothers and me into the city from Long Island to watch the first time that the NYC Marathon left Central Park to run through all five boroughs. At the time, there were so few runners compared to today, and they didn’t even close off the streets to traffic. While crossing the 59th Street Bridge in our station wagon, we picked up a runner who needed assistance, and I remember thinking how fascinating it was to have a “real marathon runner” in our own car! 

Over the years, I lived in three different apartments along First Avenue just to be on the marathon course. I became obsessed with the NYC Marathon, and every year I would host a “watch party” where we would cheer on the runners as they passed by.

 

Melissa: Wow! I love that. And what led you to start running marathons?

 

Cathy: I was always a big cyclist. In 1997, I rode my bike across the country. I raised money for my friend, Dennis, who is a quadriplegic. When I thought about his situation, I felt tremendous gratitude and appreciation for God and for everything I was able to do. So, despite being known as someone who hated running, I put my name in the lottery in 1998 and won an entry to my first NYC Marathon!

As soon as I found out that I was “in” for the marathon, I started running and training with Bob Glover of NY Road Runners (NYRR) for 16 consecutive weeks before the big day. 

 

 

Melissa: Rumor has it that you’ve got quite a marathon streak. How many NYC Marathons have you run in a row?

 

Cathy: Well, I did take some breaks throughout the years. Initially, I ran seven in a row, but then I took off while I was trying to start a family. It turned out that we were fortunate to adopt two children from Guatemala. My husband and I chose Guatemala since we both speak Spanish and we wanted the children to share our religion, which is Catholic. 

Then I took a break, and I didn’t run while our children were young. Eventually, my husband encouraged me to return to marathon running on my birthday, November 5, 2006.

 

Melissa: How was your first marathon back after your long break? And did you start a new streak?

 

Cathy: I had a great new experience. I ran with Team for Kids, the charity running team of NYRR, which was the first time I ever ran with a group of other runners. I used to train by myself, and joining Team for Kids made me open my eyes to the joy of group training runs. I used to think group runs were only for the pros.

And to answer your question, yes! I started a new streak. This year will mark my 18th consecutive NYC Marathon!! 🎉

 

Melissa: How long have you been with the NY Flyers?

 

Cathy: I have been a NY Flyer for approximately three years. I wasn’t very active at first, but once I joined the SpeedPass and Marathon Training Programs (MTP), I became more involved within the club. I loved MTP so much that I trained for the Providence, Rhode Island Marathon last spring. I will join this winter’s MTP group while training for Nashville for the spring of 2023. MTP has really inspired me to train for marathons throughout the cold winter months.

Sometimes, I join the FlyersThursday Night Fun (TNF) gang for a loop with the Run-Walk group.

Oh, and here’s a fun fact. I am a Double-Flyer — A NY Flyer and a Dayton Flyer from my college days, both sharing red as their main color. 

 

Melissa: Do you belong to any other clubs?

 

Cathy: I’m a member of the Kidney Donors Athletes (KDS). I donated a kidney to a woman in Georgia in 2019. I don’t know her name, so I gave her the nickname “Peaches!” 🍑

After I donated a kidney, I did not want to break my marathon streak again! So, getting back to running after my surgery made for a good recovery goal.

 

Melissa: One last question: Do you have any other goals that you would like to share?

 

Cathy: Yes! My long-term running goal is to stay healthy so I can qualify and run Boston at age 90! 🦄

Melissa: You are very inspiring, Cathy!  It was a pleasure chatting with you.  Wishing you a fantastic 2022 NYC Marathon, and many more to come!!

-Cathy Caulfied with Melissa Slobin

Read more...

Lis' Journey: MTP to a Marathon PR!

Lis S.

In 2018, I moved back to NYC after 30 years away, where I'm so happy I found the New York Flyers. Prior to my return, I lived in Simsbury, a suburb of Hartford, CT and had found a wonderful group in West Hartford out of the local Fleet Feet store. I had felt at home, welcomed and challenged by the group and community runs based out of the West Hartford Fleet Feet store. 

I often remarked at how negative my work place could be sometimes, but when I would come to Fleet Feet in West Hartford for their Wednesday evening Community Run (free), all faces were bright, perky and ready to roll. I was inspired by the great sense of community and sharing I found there. 

I love the energy and bustle of New York City, but I missed my Fleet Feet running group. I asked a coworker (also a marathoner) for recommendations for a group. She had been running for years with NY Flyers Coaches Amy Sitar and Jim Purvis, and recommended I try the Flyers. So I signed up in December 2021 for the New York Flyers first Marathon Training Program (MTP) season after the COVID hiatus.

My first MTP was early 2022 as everyone was emerging from the COVID pandemic. Masks were still mandatory in NYC everywhere and the group was smaller than in prior seasons. Coach Amy was my coach! We had one weekly practice and 3-4 assigned runs throughout the week. Paces were determined individually based on recent performances including to help us avoid injury. 

I had run a few half marathons before but never more than 13 miles so this was all new territory for me. I was assigned ‘bunched runs’ to add to my endurance. Bunched runs acclimate the body to longer distances and involve breaking the long run into two shorter runs within less than 24 hours to gain the endurance benefits of a single long run while reducing the associated injury risk and allowing for quicker recovery to avoid undermining the speedwork that follows later in the week.   

In April 2022, at 60 years old, I ran my first marathon ever, the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon!! Coach Amy was hanging out at Grand Army Plaza to run with me and take some of my unneeded layers. She was also at my finish to cheer me on when my energy level was less than ideal. I did it!! Wahoo 😄

I signed up again for MTP in the fall of 2022. This group was bigger (80) and we were divided by running pace into 4 groups of 20. My coach is Brian Rossetti. 

I honestly love my team. There are so many interesting and lovely people in my group. The ages range from 20’s to 60’s. Everyone is happy to be there and works hard. It’s an inspiring group. We learn from our coaches but we also learn from each other. It is one of the most positive groups I have ever gotten to experience! 

My goal race for my second MTP was the Hartford Marathon (my old backyard) as I did not qualify or get picked in the lottery for NYC Marathon.

Hartford hosts the marathon the same day that they host a 5k, half marathon, and marathon relay. I have run the 5k many times and even the relay once. Running anything over a 10k is new for me in the last several years. 

The 2022 Hartford Marathon was perfect weather. The whole race -- all 4 components -- totals about 8,000 people. Parking is easy and getting to the race simple. It’s a Boston qualifier as well. The race starts in front of the Connecticut State Capitol building, and Governor Ned Lamont did the intros. The marathon, half marathon, and marathon relay all start together. 

The half marathon splits and heads west to the suburbs of West Hartford, while the marathon wraps through Hartford's Riverside Park and heads north thru East Hartford and Windsor. It’s an ‘out and back’ course; in the northern extreme of the course, there are horses, goats and sheep, amongst many 200 year old houses. There was even a prize goat 🐐 being displayed for photos and pats on the head! There was music every mile or so: DJs, bands and talented solo musicians. Technically the course was PDF (pretty darn flat). 

After the race there’s a party and beer garden. The course is well laid out: hydration stations were almost every mile with Nuun and water, three GU gel stations and a candy station at the end. There was lots of spectator and community support. Thanks to coach Brian, MTP and my team mates advice, I PR’d by 8 minutes and placed in the middle of my age group.

Hartford Marathon 2022

I can’t say enough about how wonderful the New York Flyers are. They are an inspiring group. They put on well organized events. I am proud to say I’m a New York Flyer. 💖

-Lis Shlansky 

Read more...

Grete's Great Gallop 10K

Fewer races are closer to our heart than Grete's Great Gallop. Grete Waitz is a legend in New York and every year the race held in Central Park to honor her legacy draws huge enthusiasm from the New York running community. 48 Flyers were among this year's finishers - and 3 of them were on the podium! Needless to say, they all enjoyed the Norwegian-themed post-race festivities.

Many of us will remember that Grete's tribute run originally started as a half-marathon in 1995. That was 7 years after the last of Grete's nine NYCM victories, and just 3 years after her last, iconic marathon in New York, which she ran with Fred Lebow. He was in remission from brain cancer. We've doubtless all seen the touching images of the two crossing the finish line together. Since 2017, Grete's Great Gallop has been a 10K. It has finally returned this year, for the first time in August instead of October, after nearly a 3-year hiatus.

Today's star was unquestionably Jeanhie Hahn, who led the women's team with a time of 48:24, a pace of 7:48, and an age-graded percentage of 73.54%. Jeanhie's fast result earned her a second place in her age group.

Jeahnie is very happy with her result, and she has good reason to be. "I was back home less than 48 hours from Norway," she said after the race. "Also, I raced a half marathon on a treacherous course in Helsinki only a week ago." Yes, can you believe that Jeanhie is just back from Norway, Grete's home country! "I did not make the connection between Grete Waitz and Norway until I arrived at my corral, so the race felt extremely special to me especially because Norway really captured my heart." During her trip to Norway, Jeanhie managed to squeeze in two runs: the Bergen waterfront and hill repeats at the Royal Palace in Oslo. "Norway is a great country to run!" Jeanhie said. "And I am already thinking about the Oslo Half in 2023!"

10 seconds behind Jeanhie, we find another irredeemably fast Flyer: Kristel McKanna, who finished in 48:34 (pace 7:49, 6th AG, AGP 70.03%). Hiromi Nobata completed this trio of fabulous runners with a time of 49:35 (pace 7:59, AGP 75.3%). Hiromi also finished second in her own age group! Congrats to all 3, and especially to the 2 podium finishers, Jeanhie and Hiromi!

On the men's side, James Dunham delivered another of his top-quality performances and finished first in the Flyer's team with a fast 41:31 (pace 6:41, 8th AG, AGP 73.69%). Zac Charlton came second for the team in 42.50 (6:54). Vincenzo Pascale came third in 45:44 (pace 7:22, 8th AG, AGP 70.51%). Congrats to Delton Mace, who was again on the podium: he was third in his age group with a finish of 1:00:49 (9:48)!

The team’s full results can be found here: https://results.nyrr.org/event/22GGG/teams/NYF
Well done, Flyers!

-Francesco P, NY Flyers Blog Race Reporter

Read more...

New Balance 5th Avenue Mile

 

Excitement was in the air on Fifth Avenue this morning. 47 Flyers showed up to run the iconic Fifth Avenue Mile race, which typically draws runners from far and wide, making it one of the most competitive races of the season.

The mile is a tough distance. Who remembers Pat Duffy's racing strategy tip #1 in his 2013 blog piece? "This is not a sprint. Do not get suckered in to going out too fast (as many will)". Did anyone go out too fast this morning? Comments are welcome!

In the run-up to today's race, a question was running through my head: which one is tougher between the Fifth Avenue Mile, and the "other" notorious mile on Fifth Avenue most of us know from running the NYC Marathon? I'm thinking about the 20-block uphill stretch running from 110th Street to 90th Street, the point in the marathon when the course hits mile 23. Neil Tipograph had the answer for me. For him, it's a no-brainer: "for most of us that mile stretch in the marathon is the nail in the coffin," he told me after the run. In fact, Neil was very happy about his run today. He came just 4 seconds short of his lifetime PR on the mile (for those who don't know him, Neil is 65!). 

Needless to mention, today we all did great, and the 60+ Women Team won a third-place award. Congrats to them!

Here are the actual results, and their impact on our teams' rankings in the club standings (today's race was indeed the 7th club points race in the NYRR season): The Open Men B Team finished 6th and kept its 5th position in the club standings. Abe Lee led the team with a blistering 5:03 (that's an AGP of 80.3%). The next 4 runners in the team finished all within 4 seconds: Tim Decker (5:35, AGP 78%), Brad Loe (5:36, AGP 72.99%), Francesco Presutti (also 5:36, 6th AG, AGP 81,57%) and Marc Bochner (5:39, 79.03%). 

Francesco's result broke the 5:44 Flyers Hall of Fame record for the mile distance, set by John Whitfield as recently as August 7 in the Brooklyn Mile (see https://www.nyflyers.org/hall-of-fame/). The previous record of 5:50, set by Gary Smeal in the Fifth Avenue Mile on September 24, 2011, lasted almost 11 years!

The Open Women A Team finished 10th and moved from 11th to 12th position. Nicole Theodore led the team with a result of 6:17, followed, just one second behind, by Denise Iannizzotto (6:18, and a sky-high AGP of 82.59%), Kristel McKanna (6:23, AGP 72.73%), Leyre Alejaldre Biel (6:52) and Lisa Konorty (7:02, AGP 73.97%).

The 50+ Men Team (Tim, Francesco and Marc) finished 6th and moved from 5th to 6th position in the club standings. 

The 50+ Women Team (Denise, Lisa and Dana Coleman, 7:22) finished 7th and moved from 4th to 5th position.

The 60+ Men Team (Francesco, Neil, 6:23 and AGP of 74.76%, and Delton Mace, 7:54, 6th AG) finished 8th and moved from 2nd to 3rd position.

The 60+ Women Team (Nina-Zoe Parks-Taylor, 7:32, AGP of 72.67%, Elaine Rosen, 7:43, AGP of 71.79% and Julie Cook, 8:05) finished 3rd and kept their 3rd position.

Kudos also to the 40+ Men Team (Abe, Tim and Brad) and 40+ Women Team (Denise, Kristel and Leyre), who scored one point, and to the 70+ Men Team (Delton and Felix Alicea, 8:28) and 70+ Women Team (Hindy Schachter, 12:37, 5th AG, and Karen Kenney, 14:10), who scored no points today - but mind you, the latter keeps its 2nd position in the club standings!

Congrats also to the following runners who scored an AGP of 70% or above: Gare Kane (5:50, AGP 72.75%), Vincenzo Pascale (5:51, AGP 76.88%), Sebastien Lieng (5:51, AGP of 71.91%).

The team’s full results can be found here: https://results.nyrr.org/event/22FAM/teams/NYF

Well done, Flyers!

-Francesco P, NY Flyers Blog Race Reporter

Read more...