Volunteering for the NYC Half (aka So...Why Did I Agree to Do This Again?)

Brett S

The day of the NYC Half Marathon began with my alarm clock going off at 4:30 AM with the sole purpose of getting me out of bed and out the door, leaving the warmth of my apartment to venture out into the darkness and freezing cold temperatures outside.  I waited 10 minutes to get on the 6 train that dropped me off at an eerily quiet and calm Canal Street in the wee hours of the morning.

I left the station and made the lonely walk along Canal, passing the occasional bystander and hungry people walking in and out of Dunkin' Donuts, warming themselves with a hot cup of coffee. After a few more minutes, it was good to see the other Flyers huddled along the Westside Highway waiting for the supplies to come off the truck so we could get started unpacking the boxes, filling up pitchers of water and mixing the secret Gatorade formula.

The Calm Before the Storm:
Flyers Setting Up

I was waiting for the temperatures to warm up after sunrise as it has in past years, but it was not to be this time.  We were pouring the water into the rows of cups as quickly as possible before the wind blew them away, the streets were getting slippery, and jagged chunks of ice began to form within the water as well as on Paul N’s jacket.  

Paul N Clears Water Table
But Some Cups Stayed Stuck by Ice!

It was cold outside, to say the least.  Even before the race started, everyone’s hands were wet, their toes numb, and their heads covered with anything warm that they could get their hands on.  At that point I began to realize that I've been standing in the dark, having already been up for at least two hours on a Sunday, as the inevitable thought of "why am I doing this?” once again creeps into my head. 

The answer becomes clear when the lead vehicles come toward us and the first runner passes by the tables.  All of a sudden the numbness in your feet and the chill that has encompassed your body doesn’t really matter as much as it did ten minutes ago.  Your adrenaline is pumping and you can’t wait for the mass of runners to flow past you.  You realize that you have the best seat in the house to see world class runners battle it out using what seems like no effort at all, you get to play the role of cheering on and helping out your fellow teammates and runners, as well as give back to the community that has helped and encouraged you so much along the way.  It's a feeling you can't understand unless you are there.  Bands and music playing, hi-fiving, lifelong dreams being fulfilled and challenges being knocked down- it's just awesome. There is nothing like it. 

Serving, Sweeping and Smiling

You are there to be part of the experience –– you don’t need to be running the race to be an integral part of it.  The participants are only one part of the race.   Just because you are injured, not training for a race, don’t have any current goals on the calendar, or see your motivation waning, doesn’t mean that you can’t be part of the action.  In order for the race to run smoothly, the runners need the volunteers to help set up, serve the runners' needs, and provide friendly encouragement and support.  

It is inspiring to see other runners up close digging deep down to reach their goal or push past their struggles, with many of the runners helping other people realize their own dream or making someone else’s come true by raising money for a charity that is important to them –– we saw many ranging from Somaly Mam (go Deanna C!), Team in Training, Team for Kids, Team Fox, Athletes to End Alzheimer’s (go Brian H!), and many other worthy causes –– or being a guide or coach for someone who needs it.   

Runners are a special, cohesive community, with a sense of camaraderie that is not felt by many other groups, and whether you are running or volunteering, each person knows what the other is going through and appreciates the effort put forth on both sides of the table.  The volunteer is there to pick someone up when they hit a rough patch and put a smile on their face when they need it the most.  All morning, the runners had to push through the frigid temperatures and avoid swallowing ice chips, yet one after the other took the one or two seconds necessary to thank the volunteers who handed them their water or Gatorade.  We could see their appreciation for all that we were doing for them through their waves and the smiles that came over their faces. That’s what makes it all worth it and helps answer the question as to what I and all the other volunteers were doing there, freezing our butts off, when we could have easily been sleeping in the warmth of our own beds. 

I have been volunteering at the NYC Marathon and Half Marathon every year since I became a Flyer and I never get tired of seeing people's reactions when I scream their name or encourage them to stay strong and keep going.  It helps keep me motivated when I have hit a lull and reminds me that being a part of a running community is just as much about helping others and giving back as it is about our own goals.  No one can do it alone.

Mark R, Debbie P and
Flyer Hydration Station Co-Captain Meg  B

Laurie H and
Flyer Prez/Hydration Station Co-Captain Alan G

Congrats to all who competed (click HERE to see Flyer race results) and thanks to all the volunteers who made the event run so smoothly.  Special thanks go out to our Leprechaun Liquid Hydration Station captains Alan G and Meg B and to all of the other Flyers who were out there and made it such a fun and fulfilling day for me and the runners. Many thanks to our MVP Laurie H and a shout-out to Ed A as together we made a lean, mean and efficient cup filling machine.  And thank you Meredith J for making me laugh as we yelled and cheered for any runner that had any phrase whatsoever on their shirt!

- Brett S.

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The Paine to Pain Half-Marathon – My Birthday Race

Richard G

Friday, October 12th, was my 70th birthday. Yes, 70! At one time it was almost scary to say that number, but not anymore. I'm on track, moving along and doing fine — after all, that is what this blog is all about.

My son Peter came down for the weekend and together with my wife Joy, we had a nice quiet celebration on Saturday at a fine local restaurant. But Sunday had been reserved months before for my birthday race, the first in my new age group. And I made sure it was the kind of race I have grown to love over the last decade or so: a true small town race held in beautiful environs. And even better, it was close by, a mere 35 minutes by car on a traffic-free Sunday Morning. Here's the web page: Paine to Pain Trail Half-Marathon. This was the fifth running of the race, but if you read through the history of the race on the web site, you'll see establishing the race was a labor of love stretching back over a decade. 

The Thomas Paine Statue near the Start

The race is a true trail race, mostly on one-track trails and is laid out over town and county parks in New Rochelle (the start and finish), Mamaroneck, Scarsdale and Eastchester. There's a few sections on roads, mainly to get on and off the route and to connect the segments together. Considering these upscale towns, which epitomize suburban living, you might ask "where would you find 12 or 13 miles of trails in that area?" Well, you can. Look at the following map (click Here for the full size map):

We got to the start area near the Thomas Paine Cottage in New Rochelle a little before 8:00 AM . The sky was cloudy with just a hint of sprinkles and with temperatures in the 60°s — perfect running weather! Peter and I walked over and I picked up my stuff at the registration table. As we walked back to the car, I met up with Gabby, an old friend whom I had not seen in years. We both reminisced about the 2000 Vermont City Marathon where she qualified for Boston. I ran the last 5 miles with her to give her encouragement ("Am I going to make it?" "YES", "Can I slow down?" NO!). I ditched my extra clothes in the car and took a brisk walk of about a mile along the park on North Avenue. It never ceases to amaze me how awesome the New Rochelle High School is, seen across that lake. They certainly don't have high schools like that where I come from.

The race start was in waves, which means the runners were divided into groups of a little over 200 runners each. The waves went off at 5 minute intervals, and yes, the starting gun was really a colonial musket! I was in wave 2. Using waves reduces congestion, important at the start and even more so on the trails. Along with me and Gabby, Tim was also in wave 2 so we started together. The other member of the Flyers, Deanna, was in wave 1. I thought she had a shot a winning the race so she belonged in the front. 

Myself at Around Mile 2

The starting musket went off at 9:05, exactly on time and we all headed up Broadview Avenue. This is a long hill that rises about 100 feet in a half mile and is ideal for spreading out the pack. The worst thing they could do is would be to dump the whole throng onto the trail at the start. Soon after we crested the hill we hit the trail. This first trail section a long linear park (I've read it was destined to become a highway but that plan was scrapped). There's about 3 miles of rocky ups and downs interspersed with boggy areas bridged by long sinewy "cat walks". This is the most technical section of the route. Don't trip!

Next comes the longest and I would say easiest portion of the race — along an overgrown bridle path which follows along the south bound lanes of the "Hutch". This is the least "wild" of any section and occasionally goes along the verge of the highway and crosses a few entrance/exit ramps. Some of the motorists were not amused. Unfortunately for myself, although the going got easier, I didn't pick up much speed as I felt pretty worn down from the prior sections of the race. The occasional walking I did on a few inclines were disheartening (although my friend Susan pointed out that occasionally walking may actually speed up your overall pace).

Deanna Cruising at Around Mile 12 

The last section of the race goes through two parks which contain reservoirs for some of the surrounding towns. In Eastchester it's called Twin Lakes County Park and back in New Rochelle it's called Nature Study Woods. These are quite beautiful with wooded sections and a section that follows a stream. If your legs had some power left, this is where you could really cruise. Well, mine didn't and I couldn't. I barely averted a dissaster near mile 12 when I tripped and nearly fell. I staggered for about 6 or 8 steps trying to get my feet under my body, which I just barely managed. I really needed a breather there so I walked and got both my breath and wits back. 

Then it was out of the park, along a short section of a city street, onto the high school track and across the finish. I surprised myself that my finish time was actually slightly better than when I ran the race 2 years ago. What with my walking and my near fall, to say nothing of the fact that I was less well trained, I hardly expected that.

Deanna, Tim, myself and Gabby after the Finish

My finish time was 2:14:17, which got me 2nd place in the 60+ year old group. 60+ year old group? What happened to 70? Well, most races have few or no 70 year olds, so most just go with 60 and up. But it was an accomplishment that of the 10 men in this group, almost all in their 60s, I was second. Both the number 1 guy and the number 3 were just 60. I got a nice glass mug (and a fancy water bottle that I don't know what to do with). And I got a nice bit of recognition from the crowd when the announcer gave me the award and said "Richard is the oldest runner in the race, 70 years old".

Sure enough, Deanna was first woman overall and demolished the course record by over 7 minutes. Way to go Deanna! Meanwhile, we were all getting cold waiting around so after the final awards we were off to the car. 

Awards Winners

A word about the race folks: from the race director and the timing crew, down to the myriad volunteers, and to the New Rochelle pep squad which cheered us on, they were spectacular! You would do well to find a race with half this amount of enthusiasm and support.

Joy and Peter at Lunch

My son was heading back to Massachusetts, so we had a nice lunch in the diner on North Avenue. And then Joy and I got dropped off at the train station after we said goodbye to Peter. And to complete the picture, the sky had cleared and the sun was warming us up. A great start to my new decade!

(This account was adapted from a post on  Papa Bear's Running Blog Beyond Central Park)

- Papa Bear (Richard G)

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Runners Celebrate a Birthday - By John W

WHY AM I HERE?

Most marathoners have wondered at some point during a race "why am I here?" This weekend, a group of Flyers had a special answer. 

We were at the Mohawk-Hudson Marathon and Half Marathon   with a group of 65 runners (along with spouses, children, significant others and other supporters), to celebrate the 50th birthday and 20th marathon of Francine A. 

Francine is a long time Flyer who has many devoted fans, especially amongst the group of 6AM runners that she leads. When she announced that she would welcome company at the Mohowk-Hudson Marathon and Half Marathon to celebrate her birthday, the response was stunning. Registration opened on March 1st, and by the end of the day my inbox was flooded with "I'm in!" messages. Three days later, Laurent (Francine's husband) had reserved a block of hotel rooms and a bus to get us there. There even was a "rumor" that Sean J would be organizing a toga party.

Behaving Nicely (Or So It Seems?) On the Bus

TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES

The group that arrived this weekend in Albany included many 6AMers that I knew from our morning runs, but also many other wonderful folks from Francine's vast group of friends. People traveled from Toronto and Bethesda. Francine's sister Aileen joined us from Berkeley. 

In addition to our charter bus, people arrived by car, plane and train. Most of us stayed at the Hotel Albany, where we had our own pasta dinner the night before the race.

Janet S and Natascha H Enjoying Their 3rd Helping of Delicious Pasta

Before dinner however, there were many secret goings-on. Each of us had to go, or send an agent, to room 1207, where the door was slightly ajar. Inside, George and Margot M distributed the surprise "Team Francine" t-shirts (designed and ordered by George) that we all wore to the dinner (and many wore during the race). 

ROME, NEW YORK

Meanwhile –– with Albany just a two-hour drive from Rome, NY –– Sean J was upstairs putting together his toga. For this job, he recruited Jodie F, who apparently has extensive experience in toga design. They determined that local ingredients should be used. The hotel linens were easy to procure, but pulling the laurel from the hotel garden for the head piece proved to be more difficult. Fearing capture, they settled for grabbing a few nearby weeds.

Looking Royal in Her Tiara

Carrie B and Deb M put together birthday hats and other party favors, along with a surprise cake. Laurent was MC of the event, and led us in singing Happy Birthday. Francine was honored with a royal cape and tiara (thanks to Tim H and Heidi C). In her royal garb, she addressed the crowd.

Happy Birthday, Dear Francine!

CELEBRATING AND SALUTING HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY

In typical Francine style, she spoke mostly of the others in the room, pointing out their numbers and achievements. There were Ultra-runners, Iron-persons, and Serial-marathoners in remarkable numbers. There were also a number of first-timers, and comeback runners. After dinner, we all retired early to rest for the race (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it).

Make a Wish!

In the morning, our charter bus took us to the marathon start (the half marathoners took the bus provided by the race organizers). The marathon had less than 1000 runners, so the start was painless. I checked my bag 5 minutes before the start with no stress. The weather was perfect, and the course was beautiful. The toughest hill on the course was the walk from the finish line to our hotel.

On the Course with Scott C and Khris D P

At the finish, it was easy to find others from our group, and Laurent had cupcakes for every finisher.

After the race, some folks gathered in the hotel bar to get some food and exchange stories from the run. The results were amazing. 30 runners finished the marathon, and 35 ran the half. Of them, 10 people PRed, 7 placed in their Age Group, and 8 qualified for Boston. In addition, 4 people ran their first marathon, and Heidi and Don C's son Knox C, 13 yrs old, ran his first half marathon.

Other special mentions include Louise C, who BQed in her first marathon, and Jodie F, who received a job offer from her pace leader after she carried his sign across the finish line.

There Were Many Birthday Hugs

Francine and Her Boys After the Race

Once everyone was back and ready, we climbed onto our bus for the ride home. Everyone was tired, but spirits were high. It was a truly wonderful trip.

-John W

Blogmaster's Note: John W neglected to mention that he finished the marathon with a PR, BQ and 3rd Place Age Group Award -- congrats, John!  In sticking with your story, going to bed early and staying clear of the beer must surely have helped you out on the course the next morning! -Dave K

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Brooklyn and Bronchitis (a.k.a. ‘No Sleep till Brooklyn’)

Elizabeth A

First I must apologize for the lateness of this entry. As the title suggests, unbeknownst to me, I was about to come down with bronchitis when I ran Brooklyn. But more on that later…

For now, the race. For myself and several other Flyers who ran Boston (Lara, Heather, Jessica, Dave, among others) I had high hopes for achieving in Brooklyn some sort of vindication from Boston. Not that I wasn’t happy with my run in Boston. It’s just that when something out of your control prevents you from a specific time goal, it’s nice to have a backup plan to go for that time goal again. Having no intention of pulling a two-marathon spring, I decided that Brooklyn was the scene of my retaliation. A sub-1:29 was my goal.

Leading up to the race, I should have tapered more. Edit that – we (the Flyers in WBTC training program) – should have tapered more (i.e., Lara, Andrea K and Flyers Marathon Training Program coach Kari Smith) all discussed later. Nevertheless, I was pretty pumped as we set out on the Flyer bus race morning.

The Flyers bus to the start of the race was lovely (thanks, Richard B!!). Christine L, Adam H, Nina P and I sat together in the back, our pre-race jitters dampened by the soothing sounds of light rock (seriously, nothing gets you in a less race-y mood than “Careless Whisper” at 5am). We had a nice ride to the race, with plenty of space to relax, pin our bibs on, and in my case, listen to a little pre-race AC/DC to get psyched.

We arrived in Brooklyn right at the starting area a good hour pre-race, leaving plenty of time to check our bags, do some striders, use the port-a-johns and head to the corrals. I was joined in the corral by Andrea and Jess, which was great! Interestingly, next to me in our corral were three guys, one of whom I noted was wearing a bib number corresponding to corral 20. How he got into corral 2, I don’t know- but it was a prelude to later events. In addition to these guys, there were many late arrivals with bib numbers corresponding to the first two corrals who missed the cutoff time. All of them were ushered to the back of the race – which was so far back (due to the insane number of participants) we couldn’t even see it from where we were.

The race started promptly at 7am, at which time it had warmed up to a nice 60 degrees. The course was new and, while some didn’t like it, I thought it great. We started on a gentle downhill as we went down Washington Ave and took a right on Flatbush. We made a nice little loop on Flatbush, which allowed me to get a glimpse of the elites as they passed on my left, and then give a shout-out to Nina P as I ran down Flatbush in the other direction and into Prospect Park. The Park itself is a tough course, and fairly hilly, but having not run it that often, I loved the fact that I had no idea what was coming. Thus it wasn’t until I was almost at the top of the big hill, and saw Brian H. (dressed, of course, as a wiener), that I started to fade. Here I must confess that I got a little miffed at Brian for not acknowledging me with a “Go Elizabeth!” or even “Go Flyers” (instead he shouted “Go Team for Kids” – thanks Brian). I forgave him five seconds later, however, when he shouted “you’re almost at the top, after this it’s all downhill!”

True to Brian’s word, it was all either downhill or flat after that. After a nice, long (!) downhill we exited the park and spilled out onto Ocean Parkway. From there it was six flat (and, OK, maybe a bit boring) miles out to Coney Island. My own boredom and dead legs began to get me down until I saw Ed F (who has been battling an injury and was running his first post-injury race). Seeing Ed was the pick-up I needed to keep pushing further, even making the occasional attempt to pass some Urban Athletics or City Coach girls here and there.

The race ended on the boardwalk, to the sounds of the Beastie Boys. I must admit, I had hoped for a 1:28 finish (having run a 1:29:51 in the NYC Half in spring, with Boston training still in my legs). Alas, it was not meant to be. My dead legs from hard workouts that week, coupled with what was soon-to-be bronchitis left me a bit more fatigued than I’d hoped. But I managed a 1:31:30, right behind Glenn W who had just run a big half-marathon PR (!!), with Jess R in hot pursuit at 1:31:39 (also PR-ing) and Colleen R right behind us.  There were many fantastic Flyer finish times including quite a few PRs!

It was a great showing for the Flyer women, including the Flyers Veteran Women who grabbed 4th place and the Flyers Senior Veteran Women who took 2nd place, and I was happy to discover that Colleen and I were 8th and 6th in our age group – or so we thought at the time.

We were soon joined by other Flyer friends and set off to the beach for a much-needed ice bath. Having cooled off our legs, we then headed over to Nathan’s for some necessary recovery fuel (hey – hot dogs are a Zone-approved mix of carbs and protein!) and on to Ruby’s for some more post-race carbs (beer!).

With Lara K on the Beach

I took a pass on the post-race Cyclone ride (given the hot dog and my cold, I worried it could turn into a pretty ugly picture – literally), but several Flyers (e.g., Nina, Lara, Christine L) were undeterred, with awesome photos to show for it.

Flyers Brave the Cyclone at Coney Island

Instead, Anne H and I took the subway home together, dozing off after all the excitement on the semi-long ride home. I woke up the next day with a fever and severe cough, which has lasted about a week. Pretty ironic for a doctor of Infectious Diseases! On my return to the living, I heard that Colleen and I had been upgraded to 6th and 4th for our age group, respectively, as one woman cut the course and another was a guy wearing a woman’s bib.  Click here to read about it!! It was an exciting conclusion to an exciting day all-around.

I can’t wait to do it again next year – after a proper taper and lots of vitamin C!

-Elizabeth A

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Olympic Trials Weekend Adventure

Andrea K

Knowing that the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials were to be held on January 14th in Houston, Texas, that was the perfect excuse to head out to Houston and run the Aramco Houston Half Marathon during the same weekend with several other members who I train with on the Williamsburg Track Club (WBTC). Conditions were ideal at 40 degrees as the race kicked off at 7:00am. I ran for a short while with the famous Olympiad Joan Benoit Samuelson, which was an absolute thrill. Joan finished in 1:37:57. NYRR Executive Director Mary Wittenberg was there, too, to watch the trials and run the half marathon, finishing in 1:37:47.

My training took a slow start after recovering from the NYC marathon and was mostly a way to keep off unwanted calories during the holidays. I had a lot of fun running the flat course through the streets of Houston where my family from Texas (sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew) along with my boyfriend Jack were at various spots cheering for me along the course. I finished in 1:35:09 and ended up placing 3rd in my age group. It was a fantastic weekend in Houston. I now wish I could go to London in August to watch the Olympics but I guess I’ll have to settle for viewing it on TV instead.

Andrea K and boyfriend Jack at the Olympic Trials

The men’s race started at 8:00am with temperatures at 33 degrees. Ryan Hall led the pack from the start with a quick pace of 4:50, 4:51, and 4:57 covering the first 3 miles of the opening downtown loop. By Mile 7, Hall was still leading a small pack of seven runners that had a 33 second lead over the rest. At the halfway point, the pace was still under a 5 minute mile with five runners in the lead: Hall, Meb Keflezighi, Abdi Abdirahman, Dathan Ritzenhein and Mo Trafeh. The wind picked up at Mile 18 on the open stretch around Buffalo Bayou, with Hall, Keflezighi and Abdirahman, a native of Somalia and 3-time Olympian at 10,000 meters (known as The Black Cactus) emerging as clear leaders.

At Mile 23, the pace slowed to 5 minutes per mile (hardly a slow pace) and the top three leaders were working together to ensure their slots. Meb grabbed the lead to pull past Hall at Mile 25 waving a US flag in the final stretch and was hoisted onto the shoulders of his 74 old father, Russon, at the finish to win the trials in 2:09:08, a personal best. Ryan Hall , 29, crossed the finish line 22 seconds later in 2:09:30, and Abdi Abdirahman finished 3rd in 2:09:47.

Meb Gives a Thumbs Up as He Knows He's About to Win
And Earn a Spot on the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team!

This was a huge win for Meb who had a very rough day only 69 days earlier at the ING NYC Marathon where he finished in 6th place after he badly injured his foot because he forgot to remove his Breathe Right nasal strip from his shoe to apply to his nose before the race. The rubbing over 26.2 miles caused an infection on his left foot that hurt so bad that he had to completely miss three weeks of training for the trials. This will be Meb’s third time on the US Olympics team, having won the silver in the 2004 Marathon. Keflezighi, 36, the son of Eritrean refugees, moved to the US in 1987 after fleeing famine and civil war on the Horn of Africa. Meb has had a difficult road in life not only as a refugee but also as a runner and Olympic medalist. He failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics after suffering a fractured pelvis. This will be Meb’s first time as trials champion and leader of the 3-man team.

The women’s start time of 8:15 was already 7 degrees warmer than the men’s at 40 degrees. After a slow, tactical start (at 6:11 for the first mile), the top 3 eventual qualifiers didn’t emerge until Mile 20 for the 2012 London Games: Shalane Flanagan (2:25:38), Desiree Davilia (2:25:55) and Kara Goucher (2:26:06). At Mile 17, Amy Hastings surged to the front but got dropped at Mile 20 to finish fourth. At Mile 21, Flanagan moved to the front and dueled it out with Davila from miles 22 - 24. Davilia began to lose speed and run more cautiously at Mile 25.5 when her calve started to cramp making sure she held on to at least a 2nd place. At Mile 24, Kara Goucher was out of the top 2 spot but still comfortably ahead of Hastings.



Shalane Flanagan Heading to Victory
Photo by Andrea's Friend

This will be Flanagan’s 3rd trip to the Olympics after competing in Athens in ’04 and winning a bronze medal in Beijing in ’08 -- each time qualifying for the Olympics in a different event!

Two years ago Flanagan debuted in the 13.1 at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon to win in a course record time, so she was no stranger to the streets of Houston. Flanagan’s championship time for the trials was more than 3 minutes faster than her previous personal best, a 2:28:40 for a 2nd place in her debut marathon in NYC in 2010.

 

NYAC Runners Competing At Trials

There were 12 members of the NYRR team who qualified for the Olympic trials out of the nearly 400 athletes from throughout the country competing in Houston. For more details see the story on the NYRR web site.

-Andrea K

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Interesting Races in Interesting Places -- The Reykjavík Iceland Half-Marathon

Annie B

On a crisp, clear August morning, I found myself trailing a red balloon attached to a grinning bald man with an enthusiastic gait. He was a pacer, and I was negotiating how to keep up with him while dodging the unpredictable bops-to-the-face from said balloon. We had just passed a guy in a gorilla suit dancing to techno and I was in the process of high-fiving two jolly older gentlemen blaring ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ from a box truck. I could hear at least three different accents singing along in the pack around me- Monty Python transcends language barriers- and I was laughing so hard I forgot I was racing. My watch told me I was 30 minutes into a half marathon, but my brain told me I was in the midst of a party. The tourism bureau had it right -- Reykjavík: Pure Energy!

Only a week before this multilingual sing-along in Sauconys, I was finishing a Flyers Marathon Training Program practice and everyone was discussing upcoming races. A large contingent was running the Bronx Half Marathon, while others were going to a race in Pennsylvania. I, thinking myself pretty clever, announced that I was also running a half next weekend…in Iceland.

The response? ‘Me too!’

I had clearly underestimated this bunch. Two other Flyers were planning on running in Iceland. Dave K was running the Reykjavik Half Marathon, and Celia K was running the Reykjavik Marathon (and she subsequently came away with a killer PR)! I was with a friend who was a first-time halfer, and we were all there for an Icelandic adventure, which is exactly what we got.

Dave K, Annie B and friend Gareth

I genuinely cannot say enough about this event. It was the friendliest, funniest, and most pleasant race I have ever run. After sweating myself within reach of a new dress size each weekend in the heat of this New York summer, the brisk Icelandic weather was a welcome reminder that running is actually fun. As we ran through downtown everyone seemed to be out on their front steps cheering.

Family Fun - Break Out the Trombones!

Children were banging pots and pans, locals shouted encouragement and there was even what appeared to be a family band playing ‘When the Saints Come Marching In’ with an elementary-aged moppet wailing away on the trombone. We ran over medians, across roundabouts and along beaches. As the pack spread out, I realized I hadn’t even seen any of the mile markers, only to look down and spot an 8K sign attached to a traffic cone. We were already at 8K?!

The official entrant tally was 12,481, but as we all ambled into the corral at about 5 minutes to the start, it only felt like 200 runners. I crossed the start line seconds after the initial horn, and didn’t even get my heels stepped on. This clearly was not Manhattan.

The course was truly stunning. It was mostly flat which made the runners with pace balloons clearly visible, and went along the coast with some of the most striking scenery I have ever had the pleasure of running in. Think of the Rockies without peaks, or in Seattle on a really nice September day. There was only one hill -- a switchback at about the 16k mark, but it had a Mars Bar pit stop right before you hit it which distracted me from the fact that it was, you know, a hill. I’m convinced this was border-line genius.

Heading Straight to the Atlantic Ocean
with Volcanic Mountains in View

Even though this is a huge international event (1,400 of the entrants are from outside Iceland) I really felt like I was out for a morning run with a lot of very friendly neighbors. Everything about it felt lighthearted and fun. Toward the 19K mark, as the halfers turned for home and the marathoners split for the long haul, a local radio DJ was blasting ‘Living on a Prayer’ inducing another mass sing-along and making the final 3K kick seem almost inspired. Crossing the finish felt pretty great, and there were plenty of high-fives and Powerades to go around. I even found my friend in the post-race mêlée without any trouble.

Over the weekend, I met many other travelers who had come to Reykjavik specifically for this race. In fact, all of people staying at my small guest house ran, and my flight over was packed with a group from Marathon Tours & Travel. The whole weekend is an annual festival for Iceland. Reykjavik’s birthday is celebrated with fireworks the night of the race, and downtown was full of live music, street performers, and food for Culture Night. Also, a major perk of running this race is that your number gets you free admission to any local geothermal spa for a post-run soak. And there are many to choose from.

I would absolutely run this race again, and strongly encourage others to run it, too. In less time than it takes to get from New York to Boston on a Friday night, you can be in a beautiful country with a lively athletic culture, active nightlife, and a local spa. They also happen to have really good beer (Try a Thule. Trust me.). Everything about this trip was good-natured. Twice over the weekend, people pulled over on the side of the road to ask if we were lost and offered to drive us to our destination. We even squeezed in a breathtaking mountain trek and a glacier climb, and I was back at my desk by Tuesday morning.

Run in Reykjavík. I can promise you will not regret it.

Annie B.

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KINGS AND QUEENS TAKE ON THE QUEENS HALF – JULY 30, 2011

Jessica R

Fear may be the best motivator for anything in life. When asked to write a review of the Queens Half Marathon, it made me realize how much more at ease I feel running a race versus actually writing something that my friends and teammates would read.

This goes down as my first (and only) PUBLIC posting in the relentlessjess’ RACING MADNESS blog….

Despite Shirt Drama,
I'm a Fan!

The 2010 Queens Half was marked and remembered by these words – hot, miserable, and suffering. With the recent heat wave in NYC, anyone who suffered through the 2010 race was keenly aware of the extended forecast and the hopes that 2011 would be a year of redemption on the winding Flushing Meadows Corona Park’s new course for the 2011 Queens Half.

THE START

My recap will begin differently than most due to the fact that I live in North Jersey and had the luxury of being driven in by my boyfriend, Chris B, who was racing Queens as his first NYRR Half Marathon. Being the (almost) painfully early person that I am, we left NJ at 4:45am and were in the parking lot by 5:45am – pretty perfect in my book!!

I (and probably everyone else racing) went into race morning hoping that the overnight rain would cool temps and cause the humidity to lift. It seemed to have helped a bit and although it was clear skies and a sunny 79 degrees, it didn’t feel that bad when we got there.

I did my normal warm-up and lined up in the corral (again, painfully early). No matter how many races I do, the corrals still feel like the calm before the storm about to hit my body. As they filled, the heat suddenly seemed to change. It was no longer a warm-but-comfortable day to me – it now felt sweltering. Dave K. joined me and we spent the waiting time talking about heat, injuries, past races and goals.

I am always boasting and bragging about the excellence of the NYRR races going off on time, and the fact that we weren’t off and running at 7am came as a big surprise. For however many races I’ve done here, this was a first! No blame pointed at the NYRR, this 15-minute delay led to nervous energy building at the start.

That energy then turned into wagers about finishing times and I agreed to Dave K's dare to pay either $50 or $100 if I met my PR goal or his predicted time for me – who knew that the price of PR’s just went up?! Needless to say, I did not reach either goal (Blogmaster's Note: Jess came pretty darn close to getting her goals -- finishing in a speedy 1:35:57 (7:20/mi) while placing first for the Flyers and 8th in the 30-34 age group! --  and she would've made her goals if the weather wasn't hellish, plus I'm still suspicious in thinking she may have slowed down near the finish so as not to have to pay up! :) and therefore, without a PR, I walked away with my money to put towards running shoes, clothes or race entry fees.

THE RACE…


Runners Enjoying the Cool Mist
Surrounding the Unisphere

As we went off on the new Queens course, the very first turn included running around the Unisphere. The sun hadn’t been beating down on us for too long yet, but starting the race with a nice, continuous mist was definitely an added bonus. If only we could keep circling back to that mist every other mile to keep cool…


Smiling Jess
Circles the Globe

 Running along the outer edge of the park for the first few miles gave us the opportunity to see the mud and puddles that everyone on Facebook had been ranting about. In that section, we had to do a little grass running to bypass the muddy mess – it could have been far worse and the NYRR did an amazing job keeping it manageable. Check out my globe pic…even with muddy legs and shoes, I’m still smiling!

I’m usually not a fan of out-and-back course sections, but a memorable portion in Queens came between the 5-6 mile marks. With the sun in full force, the turnaround served as a great distraction and it is always an energizing thing to see your teammates out there and get the encouragement-boosting shout outs!  Thanks Flyers Laura G, Lloyd H and others who cheered us on!!

From that turning point, the miles end up running together. The strong head wind around mile 8 and 11 (I think?) were painful and challenging sections that I could do without. Towards the final miles, the goal became getting to each misting station and trying to take it in as long as possible.

THE FINISH

The final mile is always my favorite part of the race but even more so in Queens. Cruising (or is it grueling??)through the final mile with the Unisphere out in front of us definitely propelled me to push just a little harder and pick up the pace.  There were many fast Flyer finishers (congrats, Siggy T and Robin T, on your PRs!), and we all can be proud for finishing (and for anyone who may not have finished, then proud for getting out there and giving it a shot).  Because, unfortunately, the three words that characterized the 2010 race also shined through in 2011 – hot, miserable, and suffering!

With plums in hand, several Flyers (and Chris) joined in on some post-race photo fun before we went on to enjoy the beautiful summer day.


Above Left: Dave K, Jess R, Mike F
Above Right: Vicky T, Debbie P, Brenda M
Bottom Left: Former Flyer from Francais Anne L with Lloyd H
Bottom Right: Jess R with her Doting Chris B

Overall, I felt the slight course changes were great. Losing the College Point Boulevard section was the right choice and I hope they continue with this for the future. To make it an even greater course and event, we need to find a way to get this switched to February or March!

"Life is a positive-sum game. Everyone from the gold medalist to the last finisher can rejoice in a personal victory." –George Sheehan

Jessica R.

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