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Monthly archives for April, 2010

The Hook

Apr18
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Frank

 

     Back in January, I posted that, my friend Leo wanted to celebrate his 50th birthday running a half marathon, he wanted to run a half marathon, not any half but one with an ominous sounding nickname, “The Hook.”  The actual name of the race is the George Wodicka Hook Mountain Half Marathon and 5K Hope Run/Walk.  Today is Leo’s 50th birthday.

     Leo in his quest to find new and sometimes seemingly nutty challenges to get us out of our comfort zone found this race last winter.  He told us about it before January’s Manhattan Half Marathon and I made a post about it in January.  http://runridewalkrepeat.com/archives/95

     The main race is a half marathon in Rockland State Park in Congers, New York, it is organized by the Rockland Road Runner’s. It is an out and back around Rockland Lake followed by an extremely steep downhill on Hook Mountain onto a trail to Nyack Beach State Park.  It is a very scenic and challenging race — at least the parts I saw of it.

Leo and Linda before the race began.

     When I first heard about “the Hook,” I was looked forward to the challenge, even more since we signed up for the Long Island Marathon.  We arrived at Rockland State Park, early this morning — it was a crisp windy sunny Spring Morning, good running weather.  Many hardcore runners whose faces we know from races in the Tri State Area came to Congers for the physical and mental test — I didn’t plan on a brain cramp.

     Both the 5K and Half Marathon races started at 8:30. And instructions were given over a bullhorn as to where the 5K race splits off from the half marathon.  The race started in the pothole filled parking lot, I was too pre occupied looking out for potholes that I didn’t set my watch at the start of the race.  The race started on a narrow path, so I took an opening getting out of the congestion looking for space to settle into a groove. 

     The race made it’s way through the park and I was watching a flag football game as I ran along and headed for the split with the music in my IPod cranked up, I misunderstood the instructions from the volunteers and took a left where I should have taken a right and before I knew it was coming towards the finish of the 5K race looking up a photographer’s lens.  “Ah Man,” I fumed!  I was looking forward to two hours of challenging running, instead in less than a half hour my race day was finished.

     Needless to say I was upset with myself.  When I calmed down, I wanted to see where I went wrong, so I backtracked on the course, walking back to the turn off figuring out where I went wrong.  When I found the spot, I decided it to walk the course until I found Esther so I could pace her towards the end of the race.  I walked and walked and started coming across runners coming back towards the finish.  I cheered them on as they passed me. 

     I said hello or waved to the familiar faces, and I came across Linda just before the 12th mile, she looked great but gave me a puzzled look, I told her I was ok and I would tell her what happened later.  The same thing happened when I saw Leo.  I caught up with Esther coming up the killer hill, at the ten-mile mark handing her the water bottle I was carrying. I told what happened as we ran back back.  We ran the last three and a half miles together.

     When we finished, we found out Linda ran a 2:03, and placed second in her age group.  Leo finished in 2:14 , a very nice birthday present on such a challenging course, and Esther finished in 2:29.  Even though my day didn’t go as planned, I was happy my friends times.  They told me they were concerned about me when they didn’t see me on the course.  I told them the only thing hurt was my pride, but I’ll be fine.  I could have hung out and waited for them to finish, but decided to get some work in.  I also learned a valuable lesson about paying attention on the course so I don’t repeat the same mistake next time.

Linda with her medal for finishing second in her age class.

     I’m very happy with my friends’ results.  Happy Birthday Leo, I’m happy you spent your 50th doing something you enjoy.  Congratulations Linda, I am so proud of your strong  finish.  Esther I am always proud of you, in everything you do both on and off a race course.  As for me, I’ll keep moving forward, but I want to come back next year to settle some unfinished business.

Posted in Race Reports - Tagged , ,

Let’s Run Long Island

Apr17
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Frank

 

© Copyright Island Photography 2009

    When this year began, one of the fitness goals I set was to run two marathons.  I was training for the National Marathon and I was guaranteed entry to this fall’s New York City Marathon.  As I got deeper into training I wanted more although I though it would be a 50/50 proposition at best — but it wouldn’t go away.  I mentioned it to Leo who told me to “see how you feel after DC and then decide.

     I looked at race calendars for other marathons that came after the National Marathon, two jumped out at me, the New Jersey Marathon and the Long Island Marathon.  Both Marathons are on May 2nd, which is six weeks after March 20th and both are close to home.  Both are small races on flat courses that are close to home.  Since the Long Island Marathon starts in East Meadow, about a half hours drive from home, I decided to run Long Island.

     My course research said the course is pancake flat, with the highest elevation at about 160 feet.  The race has a half marathon and a full marathon, with the bulk of the runners in the half, only about 500 people run the full marathon.  The reviews said the stretch between miles 10 and 23 on the Wantagh Parkway are desolate with little fan support but with great volunteers.  Leo, Linda and Esther have all run Long Island in 2007 and they told me the same thing.

     At dinner after the National Marathon I didn’t feel too bad. In fact I felt pretty good.  The next Sunday, Esther and I ran the Colon Cancer Challenge in Central Park and I felt strong.  A few days later Leo told me, “If you are running Long Island, I’ll run with you.”  It had a domino effect, Leo convinced Linda to run and once this happened, Esther decided she will run Long Island as well.

     This is a new challenge for me, running a second marathon five weeks after the first.  Although Long Island is a flat fast marathon I’m reminded of something Dana Casaveve told me, “Respect the distance,” I can’t take this lightly.  The uncertainty of it is what is making it exciting for me.  How will it turn out, we’ll see on May 2nd.

Posted in Running - Tagged , , , ,

Back on the Bike

Apr13
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Frank

Esther with our bikes at the Blessing of the bicycles.

      Hey I know, it has been awhile, since my last post.  I did not intend to stop blogging once we completed the National Marathon — there are too many topics to write about — but sometimes life happens.

     After a long cold winter, spring has finally arrived.  Baseball season is here, complete with the Mets/Yankees trash talk.  The weather has been warmer, more often than not.  Last week in New York, we had a brief summer preview.  The leaves are returning to the trees as well as the welcome site runners, cyclists and walkers just about everywhere.

     This past Saturday, Esther and I took our bikes out for a long overdue ride outside our neighborhood, our first long bike ride of the year.    We rode from our home in Jamaica Estates, down Queens Boulevard, across the 59th Street Bridge into Manhattan.  Once in Manhattan we ride across Central Park and up Amsterdam Avenue ending up at Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine for the Blessing of the Bicycles.   http://www.theblessingofthebikes.com/

     The Blessing of the Bicycles in an annual non denominational event where the Reverend Canon Thomas Miller for Liturgy blessed and sprinkled holy water on the bicycles in the hope of safety for the upcoming cycling season.  A Bag Piper played as a rider less bike was brought out as a remember those who died in a cycling accident in the past year.

     It was great to be among such a diverse crowd, with everyone from serious cyclists to a little girl with her scooter and everything in between. There was quite a contrast between this beautiful house of worship and casually dressed cyclist.  After the blessing we walked our bikes around the cathedral. 

Me in front of Tom's Restaurant

     With our bikes blessed, we decided to grab breakfast and we wanted to be tourists.  We headed to Broadway to Tom’s Restaurant.  If you are a Seinfeld fan, you know the neon sign “RESTAURANT” as Monk’s Cafe where Jerry and friends regularly went to eat and hang out.  Although the interior was a set on a California sound stage, the exterior is the same at the corner of Broadway and 112th Street is there and pictures are taken by tourists.

     After breakfast we headed to Central Park and took a ride on the loop we ran so many races on.  We headed out of the park and towards the 59th Street Bridge and the ride home.  Although the weather was a little windy, it was great to be out riding, something we plan to so more of in the coming weeks.

Esther on the 59th Street Bridge during our ride home

Posted in Riding - Tagged , , ,

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