Race 29 - Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon

Today was a great day for a long run, but unfortunately I did not run as well as I would have liked. I love the Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon and so do 9,000+ other runners, but not the non runners in the best borough in NYC. Traffic was a nightmare for those not partaking in the race. Too bad, get out of your cars and run.

The course this year was reversed from previous years. The last few years the race started on the boardwalk of Coney Island and finished in Prospect Park. This year we started in Prospect Park, did two loops, and then ran down Ocean Parkway to Coney Island. I liked the finish at the beach, but I hate the two loops in the park because you have to run the big hill twice. I ran with Frank and Emmy in the park and was feeling just okay. I was hoping by the time I got to Ocean Parkway, I would feel good. No such luck, I struggle down the Parkway. See my splits and Heart Rate.

We were able to park in Keyspan Park and that's where the post race party was held which was somewhat convienient. The NYRR supplied shuttle buses to the start but they were unreliable so a bunch of us took the F train.

I am not sure why I did not run well, but it wasn't the warm temps. It was 65 degrees and the park was shaded and much of Ocean Parkway was also in the shade. I am guessing it has been all the racing I have been doing. I still ran a 1:40:57 but I was thinking I could go 1:35 and I was hurting at the end. I had no kick. It was a bit disappointing so I may have to pull back my racing schedule until I get my legs back.

I met up with Frank Colella and Emmy Stocker, two runners that John Liptak and I met at the Manhattan 1/2 marathon in January. John and I needed someone to take our photo and we asked Frank who was with Emmy at the time. Emmy asked me then what 50@50 meant and when I told her she was impressed, but quickly added that she had done two 50 milers and a century when she turned 50. Since then we have get in touch via facebook and our blogs. Both Frank & Emmy run 50 milers and 100 milers regularly. In fact Emmy ran a 1:38:23 today and that was after running a 100 mile race last weekend. She is incredible. Frank alos did a 100 miler last week. Check out his blog, Run Dangerously and Emmy's blog is Running Around Conneticut. They are linked from my blog.

Frank & Emmy are encouraging me to run a 50K or 50 miler this year which I am giving considerable thought. They tell me I would just have to take in slowly. I am torn between running a marathon with hopes of qualifying for Boston or running a 50K as a symbolic ending to my 50 @ 50.

I am falling asleep as I write this. My day started at 4:40am and then I rushed back to NJ to coach my son's baseball team then played in a baseball game for the coaches. I need a good night's sleep.

mile 1 - 8:42 124 - started slowly due to the crowd

Mile 2 - 7:35 141

mile 3 - 7:28 137

mile 4 - 7:08 138

mile 5 - 7:47 142

mile 6 - 7:37 141

mile 7 - 7:29 132

mile 8 - 7:33 138

mile 9 - 8:07 135 Struggle with my gu at the water station

mile 10 - 7:53 135

mile 11 - 7:53 133

mile 12 - 7:51 136

mile 13 - 7:51 138

Race 28 - North Brunswick Memorial Day 5K

I almost had to forgo today's race because my son's baseball team reached the finals of the Readington tournament. Since I am one of the coaches and I had already missed 2 out of 4 games this weekend, I didn't want to miss the championship game. Game was at noon so I had time to run and coach. They got beat 12-0 and played terribly in the field but it was still nice to watch and Michael was the starting pitcher. Unfortunately, he was treated like Johan Santana, with little defense and zero run support. No big deal because they played well for most of the weekend.

I am not sure if I ever ran 3 races in a row, so I wasn't sure what to expect today. Not only was it 3 in a row but 4 out of 7 and 7 out of 10 days with a race. Today's race was 10 minutes away which makes it a no brainer, plus it is also the first leg of the Brunswick Cup series. Four races in the the Brunswicks, prizes to any runner who runs 3 out of 4, and a champion crowned who runs the lowest cumulative time in 3 out of 4 races. The course was changed this year to keep the runners just on the path, unlike last year where we started on grass, ran on the trail, back to the grass. Unless it is advertised as a trail run, runners like to run on one surface only and especially stay of the grass. Grass tends to be uneven and holes seem to pop up out of nowhere.

My legs felt surprising good despite the 10 miler yesterday so I figured to go at a 80% clip today. I ran into Erin Varga who is the race director of the Jimmy D 5K in New Brunswick which is the 2nd leg of the Brunswick Cup. Also in attendance was Renne Levin, a former BC winner and Bobbi Binder who holds the distinction of being the first entry into the Run with the Vikings 5K which I am the race director. I also ran into Eric Davis who ran a February race with me and coaches the Hyland Park HS track team.

My first mile was 6:45 which I thought was about right and I felt surprisingly good despite the muggy conditions. I figured at that pace I would be able to go sub 21 which would have been good since it was my third race. The split at mile 2 didn't appear for awhile and when I hit it at 14:15, I thought it was strange since I was still running well. I finished up with a 22:28 which was a lot slower for the effort I put out. Afterwards a bunch of us thought the second mile was long which is a usual runners response when their times is not to their liking. Oh well, it still was a great weekend of running and meeting friends and making new friends.

I split right after the race to head to Readington and my son's baseball game. I am taking a few days off to prepare myself for Saturday's Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon.

Race 27 - Long Beach 10 Miler

This is my second of 3 races in a row this memorial day weekend and the longest drive of the three. What is making this run special is we are visiting with my wife's cousins afterwards whom we haven't seen in years. Dale is also running with me and doing a back to back races for the first time in a long time. Ro and Joanne (Ro's sister) will be walking 4 miles of the course as we run. The race starts at the community center in Long Beach, runs along the boardwalk for the first 5 miles, then hits the streets for the final 5.

My plan all along was to run hard at Saturday's Spring Lake race and go easier and push Dale a bit. That is exactly what I did although but we missed Dale's targeted time by about 60 seconds. It was still a great effort by him and I was hurting a bit towards the end. He finished in 1:23:02 and I ran 1:22:48.

This race started at 8am so we had a 4:45am wake up and a 90 minute drive to the start and since it was so early we encountered no traffic and made it with time to spare. We were a little rushed in the bathroom department since there was only one available for the runners.

Just as we were heading back to the car to prepare for the start I noticed Tara Costa from the hit cable show, The Biggest Loser. I have watched the show occasionally and was impressed with the amount of weight these people have lost. Tara was one of the four finalist and although she did not win, she lost 155 pounds, which is incredible. She was running late so I took a quick picture and let her get registered. I figured I would see her on the course and at the finish.

Since I was going at a slightly slower pace my heart rate was only pushing 130, I become very chatty during the run. All encouraging of course, and said hi to every cop and volunteer who was working the course as well as the residents cheering us on.

The post race party included water, Gatorade and Suzie Q's, hot dogs and bananas. Tara finished in 1:30:08 and afterwards I gave her a Bob's 50@50 t-shirt. She was impressed with my endeavor and said she should run a race for every pound she lost. Even I wouldn't do that! She was nice enough to take some photos and she was greeted by many of the runners offering words of praise for her efforts. She looked ecstatic as many runners do after running a race. I hope to see her at another race in the future.

I also was talking to a woman named Eve who was a member of the New Hyde Park Road Runners to find out if the race that they organize on June 7th was worth the trip. She said yes, so I guess I will make that my 2nd Long Island race of the year. I have couisins there so I will visit with them afterwards as well.

The Long Beach Runners Club put on a great event and I would definitely come back to run another one of their events.

Race 27 - Spring Lake Five

Today was Race 26 - The Spring Lake Five, one of the best races in the country and certainly the premier race in New Jersey. This race attracts over 9,000 runners and is well organized with plenty of food and drink afterwards. You also get a free burger or hot dog at Bar A where the post race party continues.

My brother in law Dale came in for this race and we were meeting up with the Senator, Jerry Fennelly, Jack Frost, Dennis Laker, Anthony Merola, and a few others (see banner pics). The weather cooperated and gave us a rather cool morning with a touch of fog. The start is always somewhat of a fiasco because of the crowd size but this year they were using the chip to alleviate the crowding at the finish. It also gives you a more accurate time and won't penalize you for the crossing the starting line late.

My plan today was to run hard and take tomorrow's 10 miler easier. I wanted to be in the first few rows at the start but was tardy (bathroom stop) so I paid the price in the form of a 7:15 first mile. I thought I would be able to run a sub 33 or very close to it but after that slow start, I knew it would be very difficult. I was laying catch up the whole race running a 6:30 2nd mile and a 6:34 3rd mile, 6:44 4th mile and I finished with a 6:30 for a 33:35. This a tough race to score well unless you are right up front, but I was still happy with the time. It was my fastest Spring Lake time in years. Ken "Senator" Vercammen finished with a 31:30 earning him a Spring Lake coffee mug for finishing in the 100. Dale ran a 39:54 while Frosty ran a 56:34.

I love the post race massage and even did a pre race stretch as well. After a few banner pics by race we headed over to Bar A. There we met Rebecca who created a website call postraceparty.com where runners can go to leave comments about races and rate them. She gave us a beer cozie and I gave her one of Bob's 50@50 official t-shirts. I love the idea because I think good races should be rewarded and poorly run events need to improve. With money tight for all, the runners can now be smart with their entries. I will get the word out to my runners and talk up her site.

After the game I headed home, showered and then made my way to Readington to help coach my son's travel baseball team. They took both games today.

Race 25 - Wall Street Run

I am officially halfway home with my races during this 50@50 after completing the 28th annual Wall Street Run. This was my 16th time I have run this race and although its way to crowded, I love it. This race used to be in September and the Rat Race was in May but I guess it became too difficult to run both races in lower Manhattan during rush hour so they cancelled the Rate race and moved the Wall Street Run. The race was cancelled in 2001 because of 9/11, but in 2002 they ran it and it was extremely emotional for me and others.

I was joined on Tuesday by a number of first timers to Bob's 50@50. Joe Nevins (21:53), Gregg Gluberman (29:21), Dave DiCamillo (24:20)Jack, Lisa Z, Linar & Fast Frankie Falanga (21:33) were all there for the run. Frank, Jack, & Joe and myself nudged our way to the front so not to get caught in the crowd of close to 5000 runners. This year they started the walkers after the runners which was a huge improvement. The weather was absolutely perfect for an evening run.

Joe and I got off to a fast start and passed the 1st mile at 6:40. Joe runs very well for a guy who concentrates more on his pecs than his running. He always starts out quickly but can't keep the pace although his finishing times are usually very good. I think I passed him midway through mile 2 but was getting winded as I finished up the 2nd mile. My goal was to go sub 20 for this 3 mile run so I had to push it in mile 3. This is a tough course to score well since it winds through the streets and you have to watch your footing all the time. I finished in 19:44 which was good for 7th in my age group and 191st out of 2,561 men.


I was hoping to do drinks afterwards, but ended up just having a beer with Lisa Z as we never all were able to meet up because of the crowd. I hit NJ tranist for the ride home. I don't miss that commute.

Race 24 - Hair of the Dog 5K

Race 24 was the 2nd race I was running with my dog Blaze. I take her for a run usually two days a week for about 4 miles each time. She is 8 years old and could go as long as 7 miles if I dial it back in my pace. On the mornings I don't take her she will whine for about 5 minutes and when she sees me come back, she runs crazy around my house.

Today's race was at the Silver Decoy Winery and was put together by Julie Potthoff to raise money for the tri-state Weimaraner Rescue. It was a surprisingly cool morning and very windy. which made for great conditions for Blaze. Since I ran yesterday, I planned on taking it easy and run at at Blaze's pace. This was not only a dog and master run but runners without dogs were welcome. Only problem I saw with that was a the start because the dogs were going crazy and when the gun went off they were zig zagging so the runners had to be on their toes.

Blaze and I hit the first mile at 6:46 which I thought was too fast for her. She always goes out too fast but since it was cool I let her go. We passed the second mile with a 7:40 pace which was no surprise. The slower pace helped, because we ran a 7:15 pace for the third mile finishing strong in 22:32, good for 42nd out of 620 runners which was 5th in my age group.

Post race party was full of food and even some wine tasting. Each runner received a Hair of the Dog wine glass. I would suggest that you make a day of it visiting the winery.

As I write this I am a bit exhausted, not from the running but from throwing batting practice on both Saturday & Sunday with a total of about 250 pitches. I don't have a pitch count.

By the way, I am contemplating running a marathon and a 50K in the fall. I will see how my body holds up before committing.

Looking forward to seeing all my friends at the Wall Street Run on Tuesday.

Race 23 - CASA for Kids 5K

Race 23 was a well run affair, hosted by Jerry Fennelly and Randy Kirkpatrick, both who put a lot of time and effort to please the runners. I didn't get much sleep as I was out til 1:30am dancing with my old high school friends. The class of '77 all met on Staten Island to celebrate our 50th birthdays. It was nice to see many of my former baseball team mates and friends but I was worried my disco dancing would slow me down.

I ran with John Liptak and Ken Vercammen so I knew the pace would be quick from the start. I went out in 6:38 (HR 145), second mile was 6:32 (HR 154) and the last mile was 6:25 (HR 158). I knew I was slower than my two previous 5k's but was happy with the effort. I passed about 6 people during the last mile and finished with a time of 20:18. It was a bit humid but that wasn't the reason why I was slower. I believe it was the 6 days in a row of running. I should take the day before a race off.

Ken finished in 19:24 while John finished in 20:25. Ken came in 1st in his age group while I came in 2nd. I couldn't stick around for the awards because I needed to coach my boys baseball game, only to find out it was cancelled.

Just as I was leaving I ran into the first woman finisher. I congratulated her on her win but she said she hated 5Ks because she loves running ultras. This woman has 5 kids and runs 100 mile races. I keep meeting interesting people at my races.

Race # 22 - The Pelicano 5K

Bob's 50@50 took to the road again this weekend with a family trip to Pittsburgh and the baptism of little Parker Hoth. Of Course I found a race to run and it included the whole family. It was a small race in Ohio Township just ten minutes from my brother in law's Dale's house. Ro and her sister were walking while Bobby. Mike and Dale would be running. One thing you need to know when running in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, there is not flat. This 5K had no flat spots, it was either uphill or downhill which for me would be good practice for my upcoming race at Mt Washington. Not sure if my family was happy with my choice of races. I ran the first mile with Dale then took off for the leaders. I knew I would be able to catch the young ones but I figured I could catch a few. I ended up finishing 13th in a time of 23:06 which was good for 2nd in my age group. This race didn't have the USATF normal age groups, but I was in the 25 and over age group so I didn't medal. I certainly don't need the plastic trophy or medal but races should have the correct age group categories. They will attract more runners, especially the core runners which are the 30 and over. Dale finished in 25th with a time of 25:42 and Bobby ran a 31:51. Michael walked with the ladies for the first two miles then ran the last mile. The rain held off and was a cool morning so perfect for running.

One odd note, the course took us through a gas station which i though was strange. Only time I saw that was when i ran off course in Pt. Pleasant at a race.

Mat gets busy for me in the next few weeks with at least 6 more races coming up, including Spring Lake and the Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon.

Race #21 - Tails N Trails - 2.5 mile run

Today's race was the first of at least three races I will run with my dog Blaze this year. She loves to run with me and on the days I don't take her she whines the whole time I am out running. Most of the time waking up the family.

At 2.5 miles, this will probably be the shortest race I will run during the 50@50. I wasn't planning on running a race today but Barbara Rushman alerted me that this race was taking place. Barbara is the race director of Hounds & Harriers, one of the best races in NJ. More on that later.

This was a small race with only 35 runners and their dogs participating. This race will get bigger. It takes place in Washington Crossing Park and all on grass and trails so it is not a fast track. I was not planning on going all out because of Blaze. I am sure she can't handle a sub 6:30 pace. There were no mile markers so I wasn't sure how fast we were going but we were comfortably in 3rd place. The course was two laps, the first one being slightly longer than the second one. As we were heading towards the second lap, Blaze decided to just stop. I think she just wanted to smell the grass. I always listen to her, not wanting to push her if she doesn't want to go. By the time we going again, two runners and their dogs passed me and another was right behind me.

I was able to pass one of the runners and finished 4th overall about 200 yards from the leader. It was good enough for 1st overall master. Our prize was a dog bowl. I think my time was 17:45.


My next dog race is the Hair of the Dog 5K at the Silver Decoy Winery on May 17th. The 3rd doggie race will be in October, the Hounds & Harriers 3 mile run. Barbara Rushman put all her passion for dogs and running into this race and raised lots of money for St. Huberts animal shelter. She get over 140 participants and the start of the race is absolutely hilarious with every dog howling. She gives out lots of prizes and there is great goodie (doggie) bag chocked full of dog toys.