17:12 1st overall out of 286 Pace/Mile: 5:32 Age Grade: 82.43% Age Group Place: 1st of 24 Date: 12/5/2010 Location: Millburn, NJ Comments: The course is certified, however, I heard from two people that the course may have been short. I would like to believe the time; however, it does seem fast considering my present shape. All in all the time does not really matter since I got the win. Complete results at http://www.compuscore.com/cs2010/novdec/redcross.htm
41:44.6 13th overall out of 293 Pace/Mile: 9:43 Age Grade: NA Age Group Place: 4th of 48 Date: 8/29/2010 Location: Stowe, VT Comments: The first 0.3 miles are paved and the rest is hard packed dirt. Fortunately, I was able to run the whole way although there were a few steep sections that my run was slowed to a crawl. Even though my splits where kind of uneven I think I paced myself much better than Mount Washington. My first mile was my quickest; however, I would definitely say that it is the easiest mile of the race. All in all I was happy with my result and I actually liked the distance better than Mount Washington, long enough to test you, however not so long that it totally wastes your legs. I opted to run back down because I figured it would be the quickest way down and I am glad I did. It gave me a chance to better see some of the scenery, cheer the other racers on, and was a good cool-down. It didn't seem to pound my legs that much since most of it was packed dirt.
Splits (my watch) 8:40 at 1.0 18:18 at 2.0 (9:38) 28:46 at 3.0 (10:28) 39:38 at 4.0 (10:52)
4:53:36 79th overall out of 187 Date: 7/25/2010 Location: Windham, NY to North Lake in Haines Falls, NY Comments: The race is called the Escarpment Trail Run 30K. For me it was more like a 15K trail run followed by a 15K hike. All in all it was a disaster; however, I am still glad for the experience. In many ways I was not adequately prepared for the race in addition to starting out too fast. Anyway about halfway through the race my legs cramped/stopped functioning like they have done at the end of most of my marathons . However, the big difference this time is that I had to navigate over boulders and technical/treacherous trails on legs that hurt with every step. All in all it made for a very long day.
From Wikipedia, "An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that results from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escarpment
17:24.24 (chip time) 7th overall out of 893 Pace/Mile: 5:36 Age Grade: 80.76% Age Group Place: 3rd of 47 Date: 6/27/2010 Location: Pine Beach, NJ Comments: Last mile was really tough as I tried to shake one of my running buddies (Rudi), however in the end it all worked out. Approximate Splits: 1 mile: 5:38 2 mile: 5:41 3 mile: 5:29
37:23.1 1st overall out of 156 Pace/Mile: 6:01 Age Grade: 78.33% Age Group Place: 1st of 14 Date: 6/13/2010 Location: Woodcliff Lake, NJ Comments: It is always nice to get the win. My Sneaker Factory teammate John Sabatino (i.e. Chachi) definitely made me work for it and for a while there I thought I might not be able to catch him. Complete results at http://www.compuscore.com/cs2010/june/woodcl10.htm
Date........Race.................................Time...........Overall Place...Age Place...PLP 5/31/2010 Ridgewood Run 10K...........36:33.67......16th of 1293......5th...........80.1 5/23/2010 Run for Rachel 5K..............17:27.56.......3rd of 523.........1st...........80.58 5/02/2010 Our House 5 Miler..............31:04.9........17th of 413........4th...........74.86 4/24/2010 Clinton 15K........................56:21..........11th of 374........3rd...........79.1 4/10/2010 Essential2Life 5K...............17:38.9.........4th of 516........1st...........79.7 3/28/2010 Ocean Drive 10 miles.......1:00:54............3rd of 491........1st...........78.8 3/21/2010 Rover and Clover 5K...........17:50............45th of 522......1st............78.9 2/02/2010 Empire State Building Run-up.13:58......38th of 206........7th............NA
While it is fairly easy to write about your running and racing when everything is going fine it is a bit different when things go wrong. On 9/19/09 after the Ramsey Run 10K I developed a case of Plantar Fasciitis in my left foot that only got worse until I was forced to take about 10 days off after the Ashenfelter 8k classic on 11/26/09. Basically after the 8k I could not even walk, I had to hobble, hop, limp and do whatever just to get back to my car. It has been a long road back, but has been fun and could have been much worse. Anyway it is great to be back to running and racing again. My foot still tightens up when I sleep at night or I sit around too long, however, I just have to be mindful to stretch my calves and foot. Below are some of my recommendations if you find yourself with a case of Plantar Fasciitis.
Rest - This was the hardest thing for me to do however, after racing on Thanksgiving Day 2009 and being barely able walk afterward, I finally accepted the fact that my body needed some time off. I ended up having to take 10 days off in a row. I rode my bike during this time period to not lose too much fitness.
Ice - The standard recommendation is 10 to 20 minutes several times during the day. The best times are right after a workout and right before going to sleep.
Stretching - Stretch calves, hamstrings, also stretch the foot that hurts you.
Shoes - I stopped using any old running shoes. I am now rotating 3 new pairs of different running shoes.
Insoles - Wear all the time (not just while running) at least until your condition is gone. I would try the superfeet insoles first because they are reasonably priced $30-$40. I have the blue type since I have flat feet however there are different types. Currently I use the superfeet for walking around and the custom orthotics for running.
http://www.superfeet.com/products/Blue.aspx
Immune System - I think part of my problem with plantar fasciitis was due to a weaken immune system from too many miles and a diet that is deficient in certain things (I eat very little fruits and vegetables; also I do not have enough variety in my diet). Below is a link to a good article.
Signs that Your Immune System May be Dysfunctional
• Unexplained fatigue. Remember that aging is not a reason to feel tired.
• Craving sweets in the late afternoon or evening.
• Needing more time to recover from workouts.
• Recurring "itis" injuries, such as plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis. • Frequent colds and flu.
• Insomnia.
• Exercising makes you more tired. If instead of feeling energized, you’re exhausted after your workouts, you may be in an advanced stage of adrenal dysfunction.
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