This past month we’ve seen many runs labeled “W1D1” on Strava and Garmin, signifying the start of marathon training (Week 1, Day 1). There are many marathons this upcoming fall but the W1D1 is specific to the marathon in our very own city, the TCS NYC Marathon! Of course, there are many more fall marathons which we are training for and we are excited to see the training for all of them.
What does this mean for QDR? Besides our upcoming races, our group runs, whether easy, track, or long runs, will help anyone training for a fall marathon. Hope you can join!
Bayside 5K
Even with the heatwave, we went ahead with the Bayside 5K, and quickly learned that runners are a resilient bunch as we beat the heat! An unexpected surprise, the race was broadcasted via Bayside LIVE TV. From the Bib-Pickup at Bell Home and Hardware, to the Post Race Party at Supper Room Queens, we couldn’t be any happier with our 1st go at Bayside.
At the start. Photo courtesy of Horse and Duck Studio
Special thanks to our Queens Distance Events Team! It’s no secret that we’ve earned a reputation for moving forward with Race Events in the face of unfavorable weather. Our Mission would remain an impossible dream were it not for our enthusiastic beauties in vests that connect the Running Community to Queens without fail. #qdrdoesntcancel
We’d also like to thank the good folks at the Glen Oaks Volunteer Ambulance Corps, who patiently and diligently scouted the course throughout the morning, informing us of any potential heat-related incidents.
Photos courtesy of Horse and Duck Studio
Make sure join us on August 3rd for the Corona Mile and August 17 for the Rockaway 5K and 10K! Sign up on EliteFeats!
PACERUNS hosted a very fun Wakanda 5K in Prospect Park. We also had teammates race at NYRR’s Retro 4-Miler, Brooklyn R-U-N 5K, and, of course, Team Champs! That Club Points race will have a longer recap soon!
The TCS NYC Marathon Training Series 10M was unfortunately canceled due to dangerous temperatures. That is a reminder to listen to your body and to stay hydrated at all times. For some quick tips in running in the heat: drink as much as you need to, try to run very early in the morning or late in the evening, slow down so you don’t overheat, and listen to your body.
Destination Runs
We’ve had three destination runs this month! To Governors Island, Port Washington, and Van Cortlandt.
Make sure to follow us on Strava and Instagram to find out about our next long distance Destination Runs. The very next one will go north to Connecticut on August 18!
We’ve also seen teammates in Las Vegas and Nick in St. Louis. If you don’t already know him, Nick is a member who joined us right before he left NYC. Since then, he’s been repping Queens on his runs across the country. He even helped create a spreadsheet for members that lists races in NYC and across the country. It’s been great for meeting with teammates at races in other cities.
Even if there are no races, teammates still meet! Christine recently left to California (read her “NYRR A Quarter Mile” post here) but has been meeting with teammates who have gone to California, like Jona and Nick Deuz!
Christine and Jona FaceTiming Kevin!
Christine and Nick!
Keep an eye out on our site’s calendar as well as on Strava for more group runs and training sessions. Make sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and news!
Queens Distance
Here’s a list of events this past July 2019 (pictures courtesy of various team members): 1- QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park
QDR Monday Morning Miles: Flushing Meadow Park
3 – QDR Queensborough Community College Wednesday PM Track Session 4 – NYCRUNS Firecracker 5K and 10K QDR Annual Fourth of July Picnic Stranger Things Season 3 came out and Kevin would not stop talking about it 5 – QDR Friday Morning Miles: Flushing Meadow Park QDR Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria 6 – Wakanda Forever 5K Finger Lakes 50 Miler Destination Run #3 – A Day at Governors Island 7 – QDR Group Long Run: Forest Park Perimeter Loops
8 – QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park QDR Monday Morning Miles: Flushing Meadow Park 10 – QDR Queensborough Community College Wednesday PM Track Session
12 – QDR Friday Morning Miles: Flushing Meadow Park QDR Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria NBR Track Meet QDR Friday Evening Forest Hills: The Kessel Run
QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park QDR Monday Morning Miles: Flushing Meadow Park 17 – QDR Queensborough Community College Wednesday PM Track Session
18 – QDR Thursday AM Long Island City Group Run 19 – QDR Friday Morning Miles: Flushing Meadow Park QDR Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria
20 – TCS NYC Marathon Training 10M – Cancelled QDR Long Training Run – Loops of the Shovel 21 – QDR Bayside 5K NYC Triathlon – Cancelled Whiteface Sky Race 22 – QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park QDR Monday Morning Miles: Flushing Meadow Park 24 – QDR Queensborough Community College Wednesday PM Track Session QDR Wednesday Evening Tempo and Track Session: Forest Park
25 – QDR Thursday AM Long Island City Group Run 26 – QDR Friday Morning Miles: Flushing Meadow Park
QDR Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria
IRONMAN 70.3 Ohio QDR Destination Run #5 – Van Cortlandt Park Ft. Coach Medina NYC San Francisco Marathon 29 – QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park QDR Monday Morning Miles: Flushing Meadow Park 31 – QDR Queensborough Community College Wednesday PM Track Session QDR Wednesday Evening Tempo and Track Session: Forest Park
The following was authored by Vikram Singh, an all-around great person to be around with. Besides running ultras, he has shown great improvements as an athlete and as a person. He won the Marisol Mendez Volunteer of the Year and Most Selfless Teammate awards at this past year’s QDR Club Night Gala event, and those are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to describing who he is. Read about his upcoming dream race and cheer him on in August 2019!
Edwin
I don’t know how long I’ve been counting trail markers to pass the time. I had hoped that there was a quantified distance between trail markers so I could figure out exactly how much farther I had to go. I had been dragging my feet for the last few hours, barely feeling like I could walk. I knew I would make it to the finish but at my current rate, I knew I wouldn’t finish in time for the final cutoff. “Running 100 miles is impossible. It’s too long,” I concluded. This was the first race I ever trained for, the first race I followed a training plan for. It still wasn’t enough. Runners who I had passed in the first quarter of the race were now passing me, around 88 miles in. The “good job” type of encouragements, commonly said when runners meet each other in ultras, turned into “hang on”. I was mentally defeated, it felt like my body was gone and I had accepted that I couldn’t make the final cutoff–that this would count as a Did Not Finish (DNF) at the Mountain Lakes 100.
I had used all the mental tricks, warm thoughts, and mantras I had prepared as pickups in tough times. Now, I was in survival mode. I knew that if I quit at an aid station, in the middle of a forest in central Oregon at the Mountain Lakes 100 race, I could get hypothermia. I had been in such a situation the year before in 2016 when I quit at mile 55 in the same race. I ended up spending time shivering in front of a heater, covered with a blanket for two hours after I stopped running trying to get warm. If I wanted to stop, I had to wait with volunteers for their shift to end, hike to a bail out point and then have a volunteer drive me to the start. The easiest way to get through this ordeal was to finish.
In the nick of time, as I was leaving the final aid station before the finish at mile 97, a man told me that Martha wanted me to finish. Martha was one of the top female finishers of the Volcanic 50k, a race I did two months earlier and whom I got a chance to talk to after that race. She was volunteering at this race and she made sure to cheer for me whenever I saw her early in the race. From that small connection, I now had a reason to forget about DNFing and start trying again. After hours of feeling like I could barely walk, I started running.
On September 24th, 2017, after 29 hours, 47 minutes, I crossed the finish line of my first 100 miler, with just 13 minutes before the final cutoff. I went through hours of gastrointestinal (GI) issues, running alone through the night, quads blowing out, and then shin splints to finish the race at last place. I didn’t realize at that point but the race also gave me a valuable 6 points towards a race called Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB).
In early November 2017, I decided to look up if I qualified for this European race called UTMB. The race follows the Tour du Mont Blanc trail around the Alps of France, Italy, and Switzerland. I’m not sure at what point I became aware of the race but the idea of running through the beautiful Alps had always been appealing. To my surprise, I found out that I was one point off qualifying for the lottery taking place in January of 2018! I earned 14/15 points in three trail races. I needed a race with 4 points to replace one of my 3 point races to get to 15. I basically needed to finish a 50 miler with some significant elevation gain. I immediately decided to see if I could find a race to make up the difference.
Ultra-running, simply defined as running longer than 26.2 miles, covers many branches and races that are drastically different from each other. From multi-day stage races in some of the harshest environments of the world, to looped timed courses (6 hour, 12 hour, 24 hour), to autonomous mountain crossing with no trail markers or aid stations, to last “man” standing types of events where competitors keep repeating a loop every hour till there is one person left (the only finisher). Of the many branches, the most popular and growing branch is mountain running. While Western States 100 could be considered the equivalent of the Super Bowl of ultra marathons in the United States, UTMB is considered the Olympics of ultra marathons. The race attracts some of the world’s best runners and the number of participants, crowds, media, and sponsors is unrivaled compared to any other ultra in the world.
I ended up signing up for McDowell Mountain Frenzy, a 50 miler outside of Phoenix, Arizona in early December to earn my spot in the lottery. To earn a spot in the lottery, you had to earn a total of 15 points within 3 races in the past two years. Races have to pay a fee to be considered for UTMB points so not all races give points. The points system applies to all runners, even professional and sponsored athletes need to get the necessary points. Gorges Waterfall 100K (which I did in the Spring of 2017 to help prepare for Mountain Lakes 100) gave me 5 points; Mountain Lakes 100 gave me 6 points, and McDowell Mountain Frenzy gave me the last 4 points. (Note that for 2020, the requirements to get in the UTMB lottery have been reduced to 10 points within 2 races).
I entered the lottery for the 2018 race but didn’t get in. Lucky, race results and points are good for two years and I qualified for the 2019 lottery without having to seek additional UTMB point races. Since I didn’t get in 2018, I also got two entries for 2019 (if you don’t get in the second year you get automatic entry the third year as long as you have the points). I entered the lottery again for 2019 using my 2017 races. On January 10th, 2019, I learned that I won the lottery for the UTMB race!
Descending down during the Escarpment Trail Run in the Catskills.
The race
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc is a single-stage, 106-mile race with almost 33,000 feet of elevation gain. The race is the highlight of a weeklong festival at the end of August (26th until September 1st) in Chamonix, France. The festival also includes six other races, ranging from 15 kilometers to an approximately 300 kilometers relay race. UTMB is considered one of the most difficult foot races in the world yet it attracts more than 2,500 participants. While this number doesn’t seem high compared to road races, this is a huge number compared to your average popular trail race where participants may be capped at 400-500 runners.
Training
100 miles is a daunting distance but it’s the massive elevation gain that’s the x-factor for this race. In addition, the remoteness of the race requires racers to have mandatory gear throughout the race. I will be dealing with twice the elevation gain I have ever done in a race (Manitou’s Revenge is 54 miles with 15,000 gain) and will have to do it with a pack, carrying more weight than I am used to. My experience ascending Mount Elbert, with QDR at Colorado earlier this year, taught me the usefulness of trekking poles in ascending mountains. I have long hesitated to use poles in trail races but 95% of the field uses them at UTMB and the advantage of poles increases with more vertical gain, so I’ll be using poles! The poles will help reduce the workload on my legs and help save strength for later in the race. Hill repeats will be a greater focus instead of track workouts for training. While I could do short hill sprints at Cat Hill and Harlem Hill to develop power, 45 minutes of climbing repeats is more difficult to get in NYC. I will be using some weekend days to get away to the Hudson highlands and Catskills to get vert (vertical gain) more similar to the race.
Speed hiking is another variable to work on. With the elevation gain, it’s not possible to run the entire distance. Hiking muscles are not the same as running or walking muscles. Simply being a good runner would not mean I’m a strong hiker. Practicing speed hiking would allow me to increase my slowest speed which could save large amounts of time towards the later stages of the race. Spending time hiking would also allow me to spend more time on my feet and gain training benefits in a low impact way.
For any 100 mile race, one has to practice running at night. UTMB, itself starts shortly before nightfall so I will be running two nights in the race. Training at night would be even more important this time around. I will be getting up in the dead of night to do a few runs with my headlamp on. NYC is well lit and the headlamp may not help much in illumination but practicing while I’m already tired and getting use to having the lamp on my head will help me be better prepared for the race.
Chamonix, the start and finish of the race, sits just under 4,000 feet and the highest point of the race is 8,323 feet so attitude is not crazy high but might be enough to bother some people. Other than getting there a few days early to allow my body to adjust, I can’t train for this. Items such as altitude tents are limited in their benefits.
I’ll be using a mental strategy similar to what I use during marathons: I will be breaking up the race into smaller, manageable distances, thinking of the race 10k at a time. My focus will be in the present moment. I can’t be questioning if I can make this massive climb or if I can make the next 62 miles. That is destructive thinking (negative thoughts compound over time) and will not help me take care of myself to the best of my abilities. I have to learn to focus on things under my control, not simply the outcome. This requires a consistent and deliberate practice of mindfulness, which I’ll be practicing 10 minutes daily.
Complicating my training a bit is the Lake Placid Ironman the month before UTMB which forces me to spend half my available time on cycling and swimming. Cycling in particular may be useful as it would help develop the quads–the muscles that get the most impact on running downhill. Another important training tool, a staple of ultra-running, is the back-to-back days with long runs. The run on the second day will help mimic the feeling of running on tired legs.
The aid stations at UTMB are a step above the U.S. counterparts. Most have sport drinks, water, tea, fruit, chocolate, biscuits, soup, other standard race snacks, and lots of dried meat and cheese. Larger aid stations also have pasta and beer! On the other hand, there won’t be gels or salt tablets that U.S. ultras normally have. I might do a few runs after eating French bread dipped into soup to test what works with my stomach.
This race will be quite different than anything I have ever experienced before. The communities around the race come out to support the runners which itself will be quite the unique ultra-running experience. Unlike road marathons, ultras usually only attract some volunteers and a runner’s support crew as speculators. People have remarked that the finish line crowd experience is like if you are winning the race. I’m also looking forward to passing by the mountain towns and villages of Les Houches, Les Contamines, Courmayeur, and Champex, getting cheered by people speaking various languages, seeing the beautiful views of from highest point Col des Fours and the cool views of Mount Blanc, and watching the first sunrise during the race.
For those interested in ultras but not sure if they should take the leap of faith into it, I would start with the “why”. Even with perfect pacing, nutrition, and hydration, the body’s energy levels are unpredictable and hard to explain. You will feel downright awful at some point in an ultra. The longer the distance, the more variables and the higher chances of something going wrong. Expect to reach points where going forward feels impossible but remember your “why” and keep the faith: “it doesn’t always get worse.” You may be surprised at how your body rebounds in a few miles.
A month has passed and we are still feeling the outcome of the Queens 10K.
Part of the Superhero Scream Station at Mile 6! Photo courtesy of Horse and Duck Studio
Butterflies and positive energy had come to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Whether it was a good race or a not-so-good race, we can all agree that it was a gathering that we will not forget: a high standard was set for the Superhero Scream Station thanks to Jonela Molla and Albert Tan, this NYRR race had the most QDR finishers, and our team spirit resonated throughout the park all morning, and resulted in a serious spike in membership. While the Queens 10K is the only Five Borough Series event not to feature the streets of our unique Borough of Queens, we vowed to stage a climactic moment to the benefit of the event as we set-up our entire roster between the finish line and our iconic Queens Unisphere.
Our enthusiasm was held to the standard of the “Home Team”, as we cheered until the final finisher of the entire event. From our point scorers, to the volunteers, to the Superhero Scream Station, the commitment we have to each other including the last runner was phenomenal. We are very grateful to have such and inclusive and loving team!
Working Together
The Queens 10K was the fourth NYRR Club Points race of the year. Many teammates help score points consistently and many have goals to be in the top five and help QDR in the Men’s and Women’s A Division. For this race, we were excited for Rabin Shrestha who scored for the Men’s team for the first time and is also the first Nepalese runner to score points for QDR!
Another exciting fact is that this race was the first time that QDR had a 60+ Men’s Masters team! Many of our Master runners are parents, grandparents, runners getting back to the road after a long break, those who want to have healthier lives, and even those who are running for the first time. Whatever the reason, we are glad we can be inclusive to all ages and hope we can continue to grow the QDR Masters team.
Cruz and Jessica Peralta Photo courtesy of Horse and Duck Studio
Post-Race Picnic
Until the end of the race, the Superhero Scream Station stayed on the course to cheer. Soon after the race, we had our annual post-Queens 10K picnic near the Unisphere. This year we were grateful to share race stories, pizza, bubble tea, and Corona Lemon Ice King with Michael Capiraso! As a busy President and CEO of NYRR, it was wonderful to have spent time with someone who is trying to PR at races just like us, and in our own backyard! Thanks, Mr. Capiraso!
Words can’t express how amazing the Superhero Scream Station; you had to be there running or cheering to feel the power of it. But, Albert Tan shared some personal experiences that are background to the Superhero Scream Station’s creation (with help from Jonela Molla) and its compelling power to get the best out of everyone. Albert Tan said it best, “… I am doing this Superhero Scream Station to inspire the change. Be the change. We get so much from this community, I want to encourage people to give back. Support those that support you. Not only is it good for the community, but it can be so much damn fun. I cannot tell you how many people told us about how they lost their voice and how much fun they had. Not only do I want non-members to say this, but I also want teammates to say, “I want to be a part of that.” Give people reasons to come instead of excuses to stay home. I want enthusiasm to be a part of this because it really is so much damn fun… Runners are tired at the end of a race, but you turn the corner and see the Superhero Scream Station. Seeing your community, friends, and teammates go nuts to see you while you are struggling for that final stretch. The reaction is almost immediate and it’s an expression that brings me to tears each time I see it. It’s such a raw and beautiful emotion.”
Pre-race photo of the Superhero Scream Station!
The Superhero Scream Station is here to stay and we are grateful for it
Volunteers & Water Station
Besides the Superhero Scream Station, some QDR members and friends were located at the water station providing water on a humid morning! Remember to thank everyone who made the race a success!
Club Points Results
The Men’s team came in 9th overall and the Women’s team came in 7th overall! Congrats to the Men’s team and the Women’s team top five finishers:
Women’s Team – 7th place overall: Nina Manso, Deki Yangzom, Caroline Nester, Teresa Escobar, Kaitlyn Richert
A special round of applause to our teammates who placed in the Masters age groups. For this race, QDR had a Masters 60+ Men’s Team! Way to go everyone!
Masters 40+ Women’s Team – 8th place: Katrine Stroyberg, Leslie Duran, Poonam Rai
Masters 40+ Men’s Team – 9th place: Winston Mei, Victor Fajardo, Rafael Guzman
Masters 50+ Women’s Team – 14th place: Ji Soo Kim, Nora Lew, Jennifer Lawrence
Masters 50+ Men’s Team – 19th place: Rafael Guzman, Min Jiang, Olegario Burgos Dominguez
Masters 60+ Men’s Team – 14th place: Olegario Burgos Dominguez, Johnny Gonzalez, Cruz Peralta
June, when you start to get excited about marathon training but then remember how hot it is!
June is all about looking forward to Fall marathons, checking back on previous cycles, thinking about a training plan, and deciding that it may be a good idea to wake up very early in order to get a run in. It is also the month where we have the Queens 10K in our own backyard in Flushing Meadow Park!
We covered many track workouts and track races, a few more marathons, and the beginning to the QDR Destination Runs! Did you see the special guest in the banner image for this blog post? Michael Capiraso joined us on our QDR post-Queens 10K picnic and we’ll have a separate post on just the Queens 10K soon!
Lastly, we’d like to congratulate our teammates who got engaged this past month like Chelsea Mailler and Elaina Nellis, and those who got married like Margaret Conlon!
Races
There were plenty of races this past June, many in the rising humidity and temperature that comes with Summer. Still, we went out and followed through.
From short distances like the 5K all the way to the marathon, June had many races that most of us are using for training for other races in the Fall. Just one example is the Ironman 70.3 Eagleman where Cathy, Jessica, Vikram, and David all raced in Maryland. Whether it was their first half Ironman or a race for a later full Ironman, it was exciting to track these athletes cycling and running in Maryland (the swim was canceled).
June was also the start of the NYRR Tuesday Night Speed Series at Icahn Stadium. The first two in June were good gauges of fitness to see where we are, but many of us had PRs on the track!
Alison, Erin, and Meagan at Icahn Stadium
Other big races we all came out for were the Italy Run, NYRR New York Mini 10K, the Achilles Hope & Possibility 4M, the NYRR Queens 10K (of course!), and the Front Runners New York LGBT Pride Run 5M! Even though we had the biggest scream station at the Queens 10K, we came out as a team to cheer on all the runners.
At the Achilles Hope & Possibility 4M
Destination Runs
“When is the next Destination Run?!” That’s what we hear all year round. We are happy to have hosted two runs this past June and excited about the next two we have this month of July.
Destination Run #1 – The Rockaways
Our first Destination Run started at the Queens Center Mall and went all the way to the Rockaways. This is always our first run to kick off the Summer Destination Runs and we enjoy meeting up at the beach for post-run fun. This year, we were fortunate to have Tony and Mario who set up a water station and drove our bags to the finish line. We really appreciate all that we offer one another for our training and many go above and beyond!
Post-run at the Rockaways
The second Destination Run is a runner’s favorite: the NYC bridge run. This year we cut out the last two bridges in the Bronx to favor a slightly short run given that we are still early in the marathon training cycle.
Destination Run #2 – Five Brides + Bridle Tempo
Once again, Mario proved to be the real MVP as he, Kevin, and Maria, drove with our bags and set up two water stations: one was midway on Kent Ave. in Brooklyn and the second at Engineer’s Gate in Central Park. This allowed runners, if they wanted to, to run more miles on the bridle as we wait for everyone to arrive.
Following the run we then went to Urban Athletics who warmly welcomed us with bagels, coffee, a nice discount on their products, and many prizes on raffles! Thanks a lot Urban Athletics and make sure to go to their store on 1291 Madison Ave!
Post- Destination Run #2
Keep an eye out on our site’s calendar as well as on Strava for more group runs and training sessions. Make sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and news!
Queens Distance
Here’s a list of events this past June, 2019 (pictures courtesy of various team members): 1 – LIC Waterfront 5K B.U.S “Sorry ass trail mix up” 30k
5 – NYRR 1 for You 1 for Youth 5K 7 – Friday Morning Miles Group Run: FMP QDR Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria QDR Friday Evening Forest Hills: The Kessel Run 8 – NYRR New York Mini 10K
12 – QDR Wednesday PM Track Session: Queensborough Community College
14 – Friday Morning Miles Group Run: FMP QDR Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria QDR Friday Evening Forest Hills: The Kessel Run 15 – NYRR Queens 10K 17 – QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park 19 – QDR Wednesday PM Track Session: Queensborough Community College
20 – Friday Morning Miles Group Run: FMP QDR Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria QDR Friday Evening Forest Hills: The Kessel Run 21 – Grandma’s Marathon
24- Monday Morning Miles QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park 25 – NYRR Tuesday Night Speed Series #2 26 – QDR Wednesday PM Track Session: Queensborough Community College 27 – Police Chase 5k
After a very busy April filled with many marathons and PRs, May brought us warmer weather, rainy days, a club points race, and a reset to many of our training cycles. Many of us will now start focusing on training for shorter distances in the summer to build up for the fall marathons. Training for many marathons starts soon and we’re excited to be a part of it! Make sure to follow us for NYRR Queens 10K meet up details soon!
The first weekend in May brought us a race collaboration with the Queens Botanical Garden. The Inaugural Daffodil Dash 4K was a successful race on a beautiful morning. We hope to partner with more institutions and park departments to put on races and volunteer opportunities.
Long Island Half and Marathon
Later in the day after the Daffodil Dash 4K, many members went to New Jersey for the also inaugural NYRR NJ Fiesta 5K. Many took that day to rest as the next day, May 5th, held the Long Island Half and Marathon and the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia. Thanks to Julie Tran, we have another race guide for the Broad Street Run! And big congrats to Lori Brown who won the Long Island Half!
The third NYRR Club Points race of the year was the Popular Brooklyn Half and we are still celebrating that race. For many of us it was a great culmination of weeks of winter training. Check out the recap to the Brooklyn Half!
For yet another year, QDR has gone as team to Colorado during Memorial Day Weekend for the Bolder Boulder 10K! It was an exciting break to run at high altitude and go hiking together. Next year will have more climbing up mountains and running together in Colorado. Huge props to Vikram Singh for leading the team up Mount Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado!
Not only do we now have more group runs and training sessions, we will now begin our series of Destination Runs. The first one up is on June 2nd which starts at the Queens Center Mall and heads to The Rockaways! Everyone is welcomed to join us as we have different paces we split up into so we can do our best to run together. These runs will get longer and harder but they build up for fall marathons.
Keep an eye out on our site’s calendar as well as on Strava for more group runs and training sessions. Make sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and news! We can’t wait for the NYRR Queens 10K this month so look out for details on the race and meetup location for QDR!
Queens Distance
Here’s a list of events this past May, 2019 (pictures courtesy of various team members): 1 – QDR Wednesday Morning Track Session: Juniper Park Track 3 – Friday Morning Miles at FMP QDR Friday Evening Forest Hills: The Kessel Run
4 – Queens Botanical Garden Daffodil Dash 4K QDR Team Brunch at Austin Ale House NYRR NJ Fiesta 5K 5 – Long Island Half & Marathon Broad Street Run in Philadelphia QDR Group Long Run: Forest Park Perimeter Loops Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon BMO Vancouver Marathon/Half/8K/Relay 6 – Monday Morning Miles at FMP
14 – QDR Tuesday PM Track Session – Queensborough Community College
18 – NYRR Popular Brooklyn Half 19 – 15K Run to the Port Jeff Brewing Company NYCRUNS Summer Loving 5K & 10K Governors Island 20 – Monday Morning Miles at FMP QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park 22 – QDR Wednesday PM Track Session – Queensborough Community College 23 – 100th NYRR Open Run at Flushing Meadow Park
Daniel and Elsie
24 – Friday Morning Miles Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria
Friday Morning in Astoria
Friday Evening Forest Hills: The Kessel Run 25 – Mount Elbert Hike 26 – Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon (Ontario, Canada) L’Chaim 5K RUN/WALK
27 – Bolder Boulder 10K Monday Afternoon Miles
Corey, Chinedu, Jin, and Harry
29 – QDR Wednesday PM Track Session – Queensborough Community College 30 – OSR Midnight Half
Jeff Muñoz and Daniel Rivera at the OSR Midnight Half
New NYRR Queens 10K route came out! 31 – Friday Morning Miles Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria
