Race report: 2014 Marcie Mazzola 5K

On April 27, 2014 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Coming in to the finish

Photo courtesy of The Petite Pacer

Today’s run (Marcie Mazzola 5K): 3.1 miles (29:55)

This morning I ran the Marcie Mazzola race for the sixth consecutive year. This was my first race after returning to running in 2008 and it’s the only one I’ve never missed. In terms of performance, it was not only my slowest Marcie time, but my slowest 5K ever. That was a disappointment, but not to the point of discouragement.

I’ve definitely lost speed over the last couple of years and I’d hoped that the structured training I’ve been doing for the Brooklyn Half would reverse that slide. My speed training last Tuesday went well and made me hopeful for a sub-28:00 finish today. Running this race two days after covering 19 miles earlier probably didn’t help, nor did some lacing issues I had during the race.

Although the temperature at race time was mid-forties, it felt very cold when we arrived. Even with a pair of track pants and a jacket (that I planned to take off prior to the start) it felt too cold to stand around outside. We ended up hanging out for a while in the lobby of the Huntington Y. At 8:00 we went over and watched the kids fun run and, fifteen minutes later, we walked down to the race’s starting point. With only short sleeves and running shorts, I was anxious to get going so I could warm up.

The start on Park Ave.

Unlike most race day mornings, I was not particularly excited to compete today. I was almost in denial that I’d be racing, until reality hit when the horn went off. We were quickly dispatched up Park Ave on our way to Marcie’s biggest challenge, the hill on South Woodhull Road. I saw my wife and kids cheering just before I made the turn on Woodhull. I took my first steps up the hill and told myself to focus and prepare to work.

The long run up Woodhull
Photo courtesy of The Petite Pacer

I thought I was doing well and passed a lot of people on Woodhull. I was hopeful that all the long runs I’ve been doing on hilly routes would pay off. I did start feeling the effort about 2/3 up this long hill and did my best to hold my pace. My Garmin chirped before the Mile 1 marker because I’d started so far back that it took me 20 seconds to get past the starting line. When I heard the volunteer calling first mile times in the 10 minute range I was shocked.

The second mile went by fairly quickly, with enough downhill sections to help make up for that slow first mile. My laces had been cutting into the top of my ankle before the race and I’d retied them a little looser to alleviate that pressure. That was a mistake. About halfway through the race, my right lace untied. I tried to ignore it, but the laces were whipping my legs and I was afraid of tripping. When my shoe began to slip, I decided to pull over and re-tie the lace. That cost me at least 30 seconds, but I wish I’d thought to tighten my left shoe at that time.

Lacing problems

I made up as much time as I could from there, but when I crossed Main Street at Heckscher Park, my left lace untied. With less than a mile to go, I decided to risk the dangers of tripping and slipping and did my best to avoid a spill. I know this course pretty well and I anticipated the final challenge, a fairly steep rise where Sabbath Day Path connects back to Main Street. I was very ready to finish the race and plowed ahead. I knew that once I got past this hill, I was less than a quarter mile from the end.

Rounding the dogleg to the finish

The race ends with a run up the driveway of the YMCA and I put everything into getting past the incline. I saw and heard my wife and kids right before the dogleg that leads to the finish chute and saw that I still had a chance to come in under 30 minutes. I crossed the line and didn’t even see TPP who was taking race pictures that she posted to the GLIRC Facebook group. She did a great job, just like last year.

In the end, I was glad that I ran the race. Although I would have liked to have cut a couple of minutes off my finish time, I felt I put in an honest effort. We hung out afterward for the raffle and went back to the Y building so I could get a cup of coffee. We ran into my friend Mike who was there to swim laps in the pool. Mike ran Marcie with me last year but suffered a heart attack right before this past New Year’s. He’s recovered well and is back to running and other sports. In fact he’s planning to do an Olympic-length triathlon in May.

Post race food and recovery

We didn’t win anything at the raffle, but that didn’t matter. I saw my time posted on the Start2Finish truck and realized that I’d averaged in the mid-9:00 range. Small consolation, but I’ll take it. Despite all my training thus far, I’m clearly not on track to PR at Brooklyn. What probably matters more is that all the base running I’m doing will make covering 13 miles a far more realistic challenge than it was a month ago.

2013 Marcie Mazzola Race Report

On June 30, 2013 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Last turn before the finish

Today’s run (Marcie Mazzola 5K): 3.1 miles

This morning I ran the Marcie Mazzola Foundation race for the fifth year in a row. This race was originally scheduled for last April, but the date was moved to the end of June because of a Mazzola family issue. I was concerned about running this race in the summer heat, but the ample shade made it bearable. This year I was joined by a couple of industry colleagues who were running this race for the first time.

As I’d expected, my performance did not match prior races I’ve done at this distance, but I was not disappointed. In previous years, I was racing every month and that helped me maintain my competitive focus. It’s halfway through the year and I’ve only participated in two races so far. I ran about 15 minutes on the treadmill yesterday to “activate” my leg muscles, with a combination of elevation (training for the hill on Woodhull) and speed. It’s hard to know if that helped, but I don’t think it did any harm.

Team Emerging Runner arrived at 7:45 AM for the 8:30 start. Unlike the spring race, when the morning temperature requires extra layers prior to the start, it was nice to be comfortable in just my race gear. Registration went fine, and we watched the kid’s fun run that happens 30 minutes before the 5K start. Soon after that I saw my friend Bill, an experienced racer, who had never run the Marcie Mazzola race.

Bill and I made our way down to the starting line on Park Ave and I noticed that the crowd was smaller than last year. No doubt this was due to the race date change, because the organizers announced that there were over 500 registrants. The race results showed 15 DNS’s, most likely runners that signed up for April but had scheduling conflicts today. There were 103 less finishers this year than in 2012.

Once Bill and I established our position behind the line, we were joined by another friend, Mike, who had walked to the race from his house. Mike runs triathlons, but had not run Marcie before today. As we waited for the countdown, I described the course and tried to prepare them for the hill on Woodhull Rd. Neither seemed intimidated by it.

The official Marcie 5K Pace car

The race started on time and soon after seeing my wife and kids on the sideline, we took the right and climbed the big hill that goes on for half a mile. I felt like I was moving at a decent clip and I passed a number of runners along the way. I’m still experiencing upper respiratory issues and as I made my way up Woodhull, I started to wheeze and cough. I think I’m getting closer to recovery (it’s been three weeks now!) but I was concerned about pushing too hard. I backed off the throttle slightly, until my breathing regulated. With all that, I was a little disappointed to see that I ran the first mile in 9:30.

Seconds after the start

In past years, I’ve run that first mile even slower and still finished in the 26:00 range. I ran as fast as I could today, but missed my average 5K finish time by almost two minutes. I was hoping to break 27:50, but I ended up finishing in just over 28 minutes. If this race had a timing mat at the starting line, I may have have hit my targeted time. Considering the lack of race training I did to prepare, I’m fine with today’s number.

Post-finish hydration and electrolytes

I ran miles two and three in the high 8:00 range, bringing my overall pace close to 9:00. I never felt concern about sustaining my pace, although the last segment going east of Heckscher Park, followed by a brief but noticeable hill, always makes it challenging at the end. I always want to break nine minutes, but that didn’t happen today. Still, even with a small field of runners, I ended up in the top 40% of finishers.

Racing buddies, Bill (left) and Mike (right)

Bill came in half a minute before me and Mike came in shortly after I’d finished. The path to the finish line is on an incline that has a dogleg that points runners to the chute. I thought the timer said 27:58 when I went through, but the official results have me 10 seconds after that. Either way, I was happy at the end, with my family cheering me on as I crossed the line.

After taking almost three months off from racing, it was great to be back in competition. I didn’t have any expectation that I would perform well today, but I didn’t want to embarrass myself either. Another Marcie Mazzola race is in the books, and I’m looking forward to my next race, that is likely to be the Dirty Sock 10K. That’s a race that demands some real training so I’d better get started. But today, I’m going to focus on a little post-race relaxation.

Good day for a run and a great day for a party

On June 21, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Morning scene, before the fun and frenzy

Today’s run (street): 3.7 miles

Happy summer! School is done and both kids are kicking off vacation this week with pool parties. Wednesday, my son had his soon-to-be 9th grade buddies to the house. That one was easy. No decorations, basic snacks and no structured activities. My daughter is hosting a bunch of 15 year-old girls today and the planning has been far more intense. To be fair, it’s also a birthday celebration for her. My duties were to set up the music downstairs and to get the pizza later. My wife is taking care of everything else, which means it will probably go very well. Sounds like it is.

Yesterday was a difficult day for me. My coughing reached an apex (I’m hoping) and I spent most of the day on calls. I’d decided early on that I didn’t have time to run. With the way I felt, it seemed a better idea to skip my workout. I just looked at it as a recovery day. I was hoping later that my cough was receding, but it was back in full force overnight. It does seem better today.

Although I probably spent two hours trying to get to sleep last night, I felt well enough this morning to get outside. The weather was sunny and not yet hot, so I set off in the hope that my lack of sleep wouldn’t affect my running performance. I don’t think I set any personal records today, but I didn’t feel bogged down either. I even extended my distance a little, figuring that I should get in more mileage since I had the time.

It’s been a busy week for business, but I covered most of today’s interactions before lunch. People rarely schedule meetings on Friday afternoons in the summer. The exceptions are my business colleagues in LA, SF and Seattle who have three more hours of morning than I do. So far, it’s been quiet, except for all the yelling and splashing by the pool.

I’m a little more than a week away from the Marcie Mazzola 5K and haven’t done much to prepare, besides following my normal running schedule. I figure I can just turn up the jets on race day and get through it since it’s only 3.1 miles. That assumes, of course, that I can live with my worst 5K time ever.

The hard running continues, although that wasn’t the plan

On June 12, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 3 miles

Yesterday’s run was fun, but it was also tough. I felt worn out afterwards and wondered how I’d feel this morning. There was no question that I’d do a workout but I didn’t think two tough runs in a row would be a good idea. I needed to get into the city, so time was short. Although the weather was spring-perfect, I opted to run on the treadmill to save time.

I ran fairly slow yesterday, so I set the pace a little faster today. I had little trouble maintaining my speed, but I felt like this might end up being a tedious run. I was surprised when I saw that I’d passed the ten minute mark and, before I knew it, I had done ten more. I was in danger of missing my targeted my finish time, so I increased my speed by 2/10ths of a mile every minute until I finished.

That ended up being a very hard run and I was concerned that I’d pushed myself too much. I needed to be alert for the business conversations that lay ahead. I ended up rebounding well and had a great lunch with some industry friends, one of whom will be running the Marcie Mazzola 5K with me, along with the Dirty Sock and Cow Harbor 10K’s. After ten challenging miles over two days, I think I may go for an easier workout on Thursday.

A practical replacement for a postponed race

On April 14, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Ran it in spirit

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

Today was the scheduled date of the Marcie Mazzola 5K that was postponed last week. I’m not into racing as much as I’ve been the last few years, so I didn’t look for another race to run in its place. While I love the whole experience of racing, I tend to put too much time and attention into the preparation. Lately, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to run without having to focus on either distance or speed training.

I’m still feeling guilty for not running one of the RXR LI Marathon races. A quick check on the site shows that registration is still open. But the price to run the LI Half is almost $63 (including “convenience” fee). I’ve run it the last two years, and I think I’m ready for a change of half marathon scenery. Frankly, I would rather put the $63 toward a pair of Saucony Virratas, that are high on my wish list.

Virrata – just a credit card away

In deference to the Marcie 5K, as well as a lack of time to run this morning, I picked the treadmill over the street. I figured that if the race was still happening, today would been a fast run. Instead of playing with the treadmill’s controls, and increasing speed as I went along, I gunned it from the start. There are times when this tactic doesn’t work, and I need to back off a bit. Today the fast pace felt sustainable, and I even increased my speed over the last mile.

By the end, I felt like I’d run a 5K. It may not have been the Marcie 5K, but it was no ordinary treadmill workout either. I could have made it even more like that race by ramping up the elevation of the treadmill (to simulate the big hill on Woodhull Road), but that seemed a little much. After all, I didn’t even get a tee shirt for doing all that hard running.

No race next week : (

On April 5, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I had no opportunity to run today, but I did cover enough territory on foot to reach my daily distance goals. I know this because my Fitbit has a full charge and it dutifully recorded my every move. I’m planning to go for a few extra miles tomorrow instead of doing speed work. Here’s why:

This would have been my fifth straight year running it

I’m sad that this race (that my family enjoys so much) is being postponed. I hope it’s due to something bureaucratic and not a personal issue affecting the race organizer’s family. So no race to train for at the moment. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to return to the Bethpage trail this weekend.

Something more fulfilling than running

On November 19, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Setting up for the many in need

Last night me and my family spent a few hours helping to provide basic items to families in need. Some of the recipients were facing difficult economic circumstances, while others were still disrupted from the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Our task involved handing out vitamins, baby food and supplies to people. My wife possesses great process and organizational skills and she had me and the kids working seamlessly to serve the many dozens of families that came through our station.

We found out about this volunteering opportunity through Island Harvest, a food bank on Long Island. I was happy to help, but I never expected to feel so good about what I was doing. When you offer things of value to people for free, you’d expect a little greediness. I was amazed by how so many asked only for what they needed, and were so gracious about receiving it.

That experience made me think about how racing and charity are often tied together. Just about every race has some cause attached to it. In some cases, the race is explicitly about the charity, like breast cancer or multiple sclerosis. Other races, like the ING NY Marathon, raise a collective $25 million by allowing teams of charity runners an opportunity to run in the race.

My family has a particular attachment to the Marcie Mazzola Foundation race that is held every April, because it was my first-ever race and it’s all about the Foundation. Other races I run are less clear about the causes they serve and some are not tied to a charity at all. I’ve decided that, in the future, if I run in a race that that has no clear connection to a cause, I’ll donate money for every mile I run. But as good as it feels to donate money, I’ve learned that it’s even more gratifying to donate time.

Race report: 2012 Marcie Mazzola 5K

On April 15, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

The big finish

Today’s run (Marcie Mazzola 5K): 3.1 miles

26:48 (8:38 pace)

Once again, Team Emerging Runner headed out early on a Sunday morning (6:55 AM) for my fourth running of the Marcie Mazzola 5K. Although the race starts at 8:30, we like to get there before the crowds, because the parking lot gets filled quickly. We arrived to see things in full swing with dozens of volunteers dressed in the race’s signature purple shirts.

I got my race number and we settled in for an hour’s wait until the start. I’ve participated in this race for the last four years and my wife and I recognize many of the people from prior years. This race attracts runners across the spectrum, from the very young, to those in their 80’s. There are always lots of people from running clubs and corporate teams, but the total number of participants was still a manageable 440.

Colorful crowd prior to race start

We were concerned about the weather, because conditions were dark and cloudy when we left the house. The news stations were reporting light showers throughout the morning. By race time, things had brightened up and we lined up to the start under partly sunny skies. I chatted with the runner next to me while we waited. He asked me if my Hattori’s (yep, decided to go with a reliable favorite) hurt my knees. I told him, with a mid-foot strike, that they are actually kinder to my knees than cushioned shoes.

Seconds after the horn, we turned onto Woodhull, which the race announcer described as being 5/8ths of a mile in distance. I ran it more aggressively than last year and expected my first mile split to be better than the 9:17 that was called out by the race volunteer. But it is a big long hill and last year I spent 9:35 covering the same distance. Once we crested, the road began its downward slope and I pushed hard to make up some time.

I ran well over the second mile and passed a good number of runners. I do believe all the long runs I’ve been doing are helping my speed. My 2 mile split was 17:30, which brought my overall pace down to 8:45 at that point, a half minute per mile improvement. With that progress and the feeling that I had sufficient energy to sustain my pace, I thought I was in for a PR-challenging run.

Once I crossed West Main Street and reached Prime Avenue that borders Heckscher Park, I knew I’d soon be challenged on the turnaround that leads to the final streets toward the finish line. About an eighth of a mile before the end sits a short steep hill that I always dread. I wanted to preserve whatever I had left for my final sprint, but I needed to spend precious energy getting past this hill.

Hard charge around the final dogleg

With no choice but to charge up the hill, I poured it on and hoped for the best. Seconds later I passed mile 3 and made my way up a less challenging hill, past the cheering crowds, where I saw my family waiting along the final dogleg leading to the finish chute. I had given it everything I had, running a 7:40 pace as I crossed the line.

Road ID – It wasn’t for performance but I won!

We hung out after the race to watch the award ceremony and then waited for the results of the raffle. My kids always hold out hope of winning one of the prize baskets, but it didn’t happen this year. There’s a raffle just for the runners, and I was fortunate to win a gift certificate for a Road ID. Timing is everything, because I just got one a couple of weeks ago! But this one will be put to good use.

Long line for Mr. Softy

Like last year, the race organizers hired a Mr. Softy truck to hand out soft serve cones to race participants. It was a welcome treat again this year, and that one cone made its way through the entire Emerging Runner team.

It was another great Marcie Mazzola race, my second race of the year, and a good break from my weekend long runs. I would have liked to break 26 minutes and I thought I was on track to do that, but it didn’t happen. Still, I improved on last year’s time by 44 seconds – not too bad.

Tomorrow it’s back to the office and next weekend I’m back to long base running. I’m happy with this morning’s race and now it’s all about the LI Half in May.

Waiting for the Marcie, once again

On April 14, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Last year’s Marcie 5K, just before the big hill

My vacation is drawing to a close and the last item on my list is tomorrow’s Marcie Mazzola Memorial Foundation 5K. It will be the my first race since February’s Snowflake 4 miler. Given the extremely mild winter, it might have been nice to run a race in March. On the other hand, I’ve been able to use the time to train for the upcoming LI Half Marathon.

Prior to this week, most of the runs I’ve been doing have been more LSD than PDQ. The surprising result has been that long slow running has provided enhanced stamina that is helping my speed. After months of morning runs where breaking a 9:00 pace was a rarity, I’ve done it three times in the past week.

How will this affect my performance at tomorrow’s race? I’m hoping that some hard running this week, followed by two days rest, will translate into a good run. The Marcie Mazzola 5K is a nice race and this will be the fourth time I run it (my first year the distance was 4 miles). The community feel, and the fact that it was my first race, makes it a sentimental favorite with Team Emerging Runner.

Hopefully the rain will have moved out by the 8:30 AM start and we’ll have clear conditions for the race. Not much to do at this point but think about my strategy, gear, nutrition, hydration and shoes. All good distractions. Race report tomorrow.

Stingers, Kinvaras or Hattori’s? A hard choice to make

On April 2, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Hard to argue with success

I’m less than two weeks away from running my fourth consecutive Marcie Mazzola race. The first time I ran it was in 2009 when the distance was 4 miles. The course was shortened the next year to 5K to increase the number of participants. What didn’t change was the big hill on Woodhull Road that makes up a good part of the first mile. After three races along that course, I’m actually looking forward to the hill challenge this year.

Once runners get past the big hill, the course reverts to a net negative elevation, providing some great opportunities to let loose on the downhills. I’m on the fence about which running shoes I’ll use for this race, but I’m thinking it may be between my latest two pairs: the Spira Stinger XLT’s and the Saucony Kinvara 3’s.

I’ve done my last two long runs in the Spiras and they have performed exceedingly well. I was prepared to dismiss them as a gimmick when offered the opportunity to test them on Runner’s Tech Review and I’m glad I stayed open minded. Make no mistake about this shoe – it’s lightweight, comfortable, supportive and responsive.

The Kinvara 3’s are also very nice. I loved my original Kinvaras but found the Kinvara 2’s less appealing each time I tried them on. To be fair, I never ran in them, so I don’t really know how they’d have performed. I do know that the Kinvara 3’s feel more like the original and, with their 4mm ramp angle, suit my preference for a lower platform. I have had noticeable irritation in one foot when running in these shoes, but I suspect it’s as much a foot issue as it is a shoe problem.

It’s hard to determine which of these shoes would serve me better for a fast 5K. Perhaps I’ll simply opt for door #3 and run with the venerable Hattori’s. These shoes, despite over 300 miles on their thin soles, still deliver one of the best running experiences I’ve ever encountered.