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May 2019 Recap

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!

Queens Botanical Garden Daffodil Dash 4K

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!

NYRR Popular Brooklyn 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!

Bolder Boulder 10K

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!

Training and Group Runs

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 ourĀ siteā€™s calendarĀ as well as onĀ StravaĀ for more group runs and training sessions. Make sure to also follow us onĀ FacebookĀ andĀ 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

Hereā€™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

QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park

Monday evenings at Central Park with Caroline

8 – QDR Wednesday AM Tempo Session – The Shovel at FMP
QDR Wednesday PM Track Session – Queensborough Community College
9 – Sac’s Place Astoria Social 10K – Run First, Feast Later!
10 – Friday Morning Miles at FMP
Friday Morning Group Run: FunFridayRun Astoria

Gabriel and Smitty

Friday Evening Forest Hills: The Kessel Run
11 – QDR Group Run: Last 10 Mile Preview of the Popular Brooklyn Half
Sri Chinmoy 5K, Half-Marathon & Relay
Damon Runyon 5K At Yankee Stadium
12 – NYRR Japan Run 4M
13 – 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 MuƱoz 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

Friday Morning Miles at FMP at 5:30AM!
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2019 Popular Brooklyn Half

We did it once again! 122 athletes represented Queens Distance at the popular NYRR Brooklyn Half this past Saturday, May 18! We had a blast both running 13.1 miles from Prospect Park to Coney Island, and cheering at Mile 10.

Special thanks to Ginia Guzman and other volunteers who were at the mile 10 water station right before Scream Station. And big thanks to our amazing friends who were at the mile 10 cheer station! There was Kevin, Claudia, Chinedu, Kevin O., Jenn who made signs, Christine, Jay, Jona, and more. Without them, the last 5k of the Brooklyn Half would not have been as high spirited and motivating.


Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

We are experiencing so many emotions after the Brooklyn Half. There are just so many uplifting and heart-warming stories we heard from many teammates after the race. We have fast runners on the competitive team but first and foremost we strive to create an environment where everyone can feel welcomed and supported. That is one of the many reasons why we stay until the last runner for races. Alejandro, who just ran his first half marathon, shared with us how he was impressed by those who stayed at Mile 10, and also felt such “enthusiasm and positive energy” from everyone he met.


#popularbkhalf āœ” #finishermedal āœ” My first official 13.1 mile race is on the books!! This was certainly an endurance test but mostly, this was a test to my mind, heart, and will. I am really happy to have gone from 2:16(virtual half marathon) to 2:12. So I guess now I have a new PR. Looking forward to Staten Island Half Marathon!! I wanna thank @motrivated for the tips on how to attack those hills in Prospect Park. @vj.tri.training for weekend training runs. @salcidoestepha for tips on pre racing day. @ehipeao2 for your tips on how to take @scienceinsport gels. @queensdistance for transportation, 10 mile shout out motivation and post race welcoming and @refix_usa_dist @refixyourself for keeping me hydrated during the race. Congratulations to all runners that met yesterday for such wonderful race.

A post shared by Alejandro Navarrete šŸƒšŸ½ā€ā™‚ļøšŸ‡ØšŸ‡“ (@runalejorun) on

The cheer station was stationed early and left as the last runners passed by. We are grateful for this because the cheer station was 3 miles away from the finish line and it was difficult for runners to return back there.

One of our star cheerleaders Christine Nasol told us after the race that she will be leaving for California. This is not the first time a teammate leaves to another state but we are sad nonetheless. We do not, however, lose touch! Christine warmed our hearts by saying, “I didn’t think that running would bring me such joy, but it truly has. Through running, I have had the pleasure to meet some of the best people on this planet. Thank you for being my running club, my community, and my friends. QDR and Queens will forever have a special place in my heart, and I will forever represent the QDR Gold.”

Unfortunately, we heard more sad news over the weekend. We’d like to send our deepest condolences to anyone who has lost a loved one recently. We admire the spirit one has to dedicate their run to their loved one.

As team captain Kevin puts it, we are a family and are there for each other on and off the road.

Speaking of helping out, Anthony Chow told us how the Queens Community College track sessions helped him earn a new PR of 1:56:46. Mike Bocchinfuso dropped his PR by 18 minutes since last October to 2:20:47 and associates it with his decision to join QDR! “You really do get what you put in with this fam!”

It just goes to show that when you come out to train with us, you get a lot back!



As runners crossed the finished line, they were greeted by other teammates at the MCU stadium. Many stayed there for hours chatting about the race, their experience on the course, and recovering with fries and beer! Quite the good post-race treat!


Club Points Results

The energy felt on race day helped us all perform well. The Men’s team came in 9th overall and the Women’s team came in 10th overall! Congrats to the Men’s team top five finishers, four of whom ran a personal best, and to the Women’s team top five finishers, two of whom ran a personal best.

Men’s Team – 9th place overall:
Esteban Rosales, Luciano Medina, Alessio Asaro, Edwin Guzman, Daniel Rivera
Women’s Team – 10th place overall:
Marie-Ange Brumelot, Teresa Escobar, Caroline Nester, Maria Wong, Nina Manso

Esteban Rosales leading the way for QDR.
Photo by Horse and Duck Photo.

That’s not all! Huge round of applause to our teammates who placed in the Masters age groups. In these age groups, the top three runners from each team are considered as scorers.

Masters 40+ Women’s Team – 14th place:
Irena Ocasio, Katrine Stroyberg, Linda Brennan
Masters 40+ Men’s Team – 13th place:
Victor Fajardo, Winston Mei, Rafael Guzman
Masters 50+ Women’s Team – 36th place:
Jennifer Lawrence, Yolanda Zuluaga, Wendy Phaff
Masters 50+ Men’s Team – 15th place:
Rafael Guzman, Dave McCutcheon, Olegario Burgos Dominguez

Top: Teresa, Nina
Bottom: Rafael, Maria, Caroline, Dave
Photo by Rafael Guzman
Lorenzo, Ivelisse, Nicole, Roxanne, Nicolas
Photo by Nicole Wong

Once again, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The success that Queens Distance had at the Popular Brooklyn Half was an exceptional team effort in so many ways!

ICE Mike
Photo by Horse and Duck Photo

Until next time.

Queens Distance

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April 2019 Recap

We cannot put into words the excitement we went through this past month. The anticipation for April put us on edge. When we finally reach our own individual event, we made the most of it by giving it everything we had. And we witnessed that from our teammates! From D.C., to Boston, to our very own backyard at Flushing Meadow Park, we witnessed grit and perseverance that kept us motivated and looking forward to what the rest of 2019 has for us. Let’s take look and make sure to take a look at the list of events at the end of the post!

Race Guides

Starting with the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile and 5K Run, we created race guides meant to aggregate important race logistics, course strategy, and city attractions for our teammates. Since then, we have created more guides for the Boston Marathon, the Queens Marathon, and the Broad Street 10 Miler.

Although we will have more guides for local NYRR races, our hope is to have guides for races outside of NYC as well. What makes these guides standout is that they are written by our teammates who have previous experience with the race or knowledge of the city (which can be a new city to explore for many!).

Check out our race guides!

Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile & 5K Run-Walk

Just from the first weekend in April, Queens Distance raced all over. Teammates represented in Illinois, Missouri, D.C., and, of course, in local NYC races. Co-founder Edwin wrote about his experience at the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and we hope you enjoy his training and mentality going into the race that earned him a 57:27 PR time.Ā 

Boston Marathon

No time to rest! The following weekend was yet another big weekend with races that ranged from the 5K distance to 50 miles. I’m sure by know you may have guessed who ran that 50 miler at Lake Sonoma! Read more about his race on his personal site.

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First ultra of the year in the books! It was a rough one. Link to my experience in the bio! #relentless #ls50 #runnjng #ultrarunning #optoutside #trailrunning #queensdistancerunners #queensdistance

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This weekend also saw one teammate run abroad in Serbia! For a list of races during that weekend and a recap of the Boston Marathon, check out our blog post on the 123rd Boston Marathon. It truly was a moment many of us won’t forget. Big thanks to Albert Tan of Horse and Duck Photo for going all the way to Boston to take amazing pictures of our teammates!

4th Annual Queens Marathon: RRCA New York State Marathon Championships

What an absolutely amazing day! We took over Flushing Meadows Park for a day full of volunteers and marathoners racing loops for different goals. We’ll have a separate race recap post for this race because we need to cover so many details that went into making the Queens Marathon a success for another year.

Until that recap is published, we’d like to thank all our volunteers who came out, especially the bike pacers, the volunteer leaders who took the initiative to coordinate different sections of the park, and the logistics and operation team who made the event run smoothly.

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The 4th Annual Queens Marathon was magical this morning thanks to all the volunteers who helped! From 6AM until 2PM, these fine folks motivated and helped runners achieve their best. We heard from multiple runners how motivating and high-spirited the volunteers were so a huge thanks to everyone who was out there in the Start, Closing, and All-Day shifts! ā€¢ Big thanks to the bike pacers who kept runners on track! And Gabor for leading them! ā€¢ Give it up to your volunteer leads! We had @tearlessretina leading the all the Fluid Stations, @jonarunsthecity leading the North section, @ashleyn1650 leading the East, @anngoldie leading the South, @jinx197 leading the West, and David leading the Core. ā€¢ We also had @honus67 as the Main Announcer all day! And big thanks to all the work from @mwmaria, @algorhythm19, and Operations Manager and Assistant @notmichol and @vikmanjj ! ā€¢ Much, much more to come! šŸ’› šŸ“· @horseandducksports !! #queesmarathon #theworldiswaiting #flushingmeadowpark #bq #marathon #volunteers #dreamteam #teamwork

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London, Big Sur, & New Jersey Marathon

We completed April with even more marathons! Huge congrats to everyone who ran this past month. For the last week in April: Nicole ran the London Marathon and is closer to becoming a World Marathon Majors Six Star Finisher; Christine and Nick ran the hilly Big Sur Marathon; and we had a small team right across the river at the New Jersey Half composed of Zein, David, and Ashley. We are very pleased with Ashley’s performance as she Qualified for Boston! The previous week she volunteered all day at the Queens Marathon as a Volunteer Lead. It goes to show that the work you put into the team also helps you reach your goals.

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Horse and Duck Photo

The team composed of Albert Tan and Jose Donado have a new site with many gorgeous pictures of our teammates at many events. Check them out!

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Group Runs

Keep an eye out on ourĀ siteā€™s calendarĀ as well as onĀ StravaĀ for more group runs and training sessions. Make sure to also follow us onĀ FacebookĀ andĀ InstagramĀ for updates and news!

Queens Distance

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Hereā€™s a list of events this past April, 2019 (pictures courtesy of various team members):

2 – QDR Tuesday Afternoon Group Run- Rockaway Brewery Social Run! Up Vernon Blvd and Back!

4 – QDR Thursday Track Session: Queensborough Community College

5 – Club Fair at NYRR Run Center

6 – President Lincolnā€™s Half (Springfield, IL)

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Ā  Ā  3rd Annual 5k at the Bay Fun Run (Guardians of Flushing Bay)

7- Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler & 5K Run-Walk

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Congratulations to our top male in the #CUCB2019 5K Run-Walk, Jose Donado of New York, NY! Donado finished with a time of 18:24. Photo credit: Bob Mallet

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Queens Marathon Long Training Run #12 Marathon Pace Effort – The Perimeter

https://www.strava.com/clubs/249991/group_events/481332?fbclid=IwAR2WcW_piekEy1nAehChPa8zZXZ1ZnKS-3VuHL2fE4CbAaT_HJ3TUCihI2E

Delmar Dash 5 Miler

St Louis Marathon weekend (10K)

Boomerā€™s Cystic Fibrosis Run to Breathe 4 Mile

8- QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park – Send off for Caroline

10 –QDR Wednesday Morning Track Session: Juniper Park Track

11 – QDR Thursday Track Session: Queensborough Community College

12 – QDR Friday Night Run – Kessel Run

13 – B.A.A. 5k, Boston

Ā  Ā  NYCRuns Queens Half

Ā  Ā  Helderberg Half

Ā  Ā  Lake Sonoma 50, California

Ā  Ā  QDR Saturday Morning Group Run: Forest Park Extended Loop

14 – Marathon Training #13

Ā  Ā  Rutgers Unite Half Marathon

Ā  Ā  Shakeout Run for Boston Marathon

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Ā  Ā  Shape Womenā€™s Half

Ā  Ā  Paris Marathon

Ā  Ā  JFK Runway 5K

Ā  Ā  Atlantic City Half

Ā  Ā  Belgrade Half, Serbia

Ā  Ā  Spartan race

Ā  Ā  Riverside Dash 15k

15- Boston Marathon

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@bostonmarathon this was my 7th marathon and first time running Boston. The goal was to finish the race no matter how hard or painful could be. I was lucky to have one of teammates @danny.ocean working together from 1-17miles. This race is totally different from my other races the crowd and the support from my team made me stronger and motivated me to keep running Ćŗtil the finish. / Esta fue 7timo maratĆ³n y primera vez que corro Boston. Me sentĆ­ afortunado de haber corrido con uno de mis compaƱeros del equipo @danny.ocean lo cual estuvimos compartiendo la milla 1 asta 17. EstĆ” carrera fue totalmente diferente que las demĆ”s que habĆ­a echo ya que con el apoyo de la gente y del apoyo de mi equipo me hizo fortalecer y tambiĆ©n me motivĆ³ a terminar esta carrera. Pic #3/ @horseandducksports Representing šŸ‡¬šŸ‡¹ #Guate #contodo #Pabloāš™ļø #nike #redbull #neverstop #hardworking #withoutlimit #runner

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18 – Queens Marathon bib pickup at Urban Athletics

19 – Queens Marathon bib pickup Queens Theatre

Ā  Ā  Queens Marathon Shakeout Run! Friday Evening: Open to the Public!

20 – NYRR Run As One 4 Mile

Ā  Ā  Queens Marathon Bib pickup at Modells at Queens center Mall and at Sacā€™s Pizza, Astoria

Queens Marathon Shakeout Run: Saturday Morning! Open to the Public

21 – The 2019 Queens Marathon- RRCA New York State Marathon Championships

24 – Popular Brooklyn Half confirmations sent out

27 – AOC Fun Run Astoria

Ā  Ā  Power of a Woman Triathlon

Ā  Ā  Allstate Hot Chocolate Brooklyn 15K/5K

28 –Ā  NYRR UAE Healthy Kidney 10K

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Away we go! šŸ“ø: @horseandducksports

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Ā  Ā  London Marathon

Ā  Ā  New Jersey Marathon

Ā  Ā  Big Sur Marathon

Ā  Ā  Alley Pond Striders 5m

Ā  Ā  Saint Luke’s Half and 5K

29 – Monday Morning Miles

Ā  Ā QDR Monday Evening Group Run: Central Park

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123rd Boston Marathon

Only a few days left until the 4th annual 2019 Queens Marathon, the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) New York State Marathon Championship! This past weekend before the Queens Marathon was an exciting prelude to what is to come. Yes! We are talking about the Boston Marathon! Queens Distance went to mile 20 of the Boston Marathon to cheer on all the runners and especially our 13 beloved teammates.

The 123rd Boston Marathon was the last race of a long weekend held on Monday, April 15thĀ Patriot’s Day. Before we go any further, we’d like to congratulate all our other teammates who also raced this past weekend.

Saturday, April 13th

B.A.A 5K, Boston
NYCRuns Queens Half & 5K
Helderberg to Hudson Half Marathon
Lake Sanoma 50 Miler, California

Sunday, April 14th

SHAPE Women’s Half Marathon
Paris Marathon, France
JFK Runway 5K
Spartan Race, Citi Field
Atlantic City Half Marathon, New Jersey
Belgrade Half Marathon, Serbia
Brookhaven 15K
Riverside Dash 15K, Sandford, Florida

Boston Marathon

Just a few years ago in 2016, Maria Wong and a handful of teammates ran the Boston Marathon. Edwin and Kevin went that weekend and biked from the halfway point until the finish line, cheering wherever possible. This year, 13 Queens Distance teammates trained through another frigid winter for this prestigious race.Ā This is by far, the most stacked field Queens Distance has ever presented for the Boston Marathon.

This is the second of the World Marathon Majors races held each year and this race is very special place in the running community. This is a tough race to qualify for as many of us who try to “BQ” know. It is a goal many marathon runners seek and that many do not get. But that, in itself, is what makes chasing this unicorn special. Having this goal in mind, working towards it, perhaps failing, and eventually earning it makes toeing the starting line of the Boston Marathon a great achievement.

This marathon starts in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, an otherwise quiet New England town that becomes the epicenter for corralling thousands of remarkable runners all the way to the finish line in Boston. Just like last year, Queens Distance went to Newton and to the infamous Heartbreak Hill to cheer on runners as they prepare to tackle the last 10k of the race. Special thanks to Albert Tan of Horse and Duck Photo who came for the day to take amazing shots.

 

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Anibal Chehayab ā€¢3:00:49 Boston Marathon Debut šŸ¦„

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Go to Horse and Duck Photo’s site for more race day photos!

 

It goes without saying but the weather is part of the race. Last year, runners ran through heavy rain and cold weather. This year, it was pouring in the early morning and around the start time the sun came out, and with that the humidity steadily increased. Still, the runners prevailed.

Here are the 13 Boston Marathoners who represented Queens Distance!

Women’s Team

Jona Molla
Caroline Nester
Irena Ocasio
Rinchen Pelden
Kaitlyn Richert
Deki Yangzom

Men’s Team

Anibal Chehayeb
Jeremiah Estes
Derek Hanson
Winston Mei
Eric Morris
Danny Rivera
Pablo Yax

Official results

 

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Deki Yangzom ā€¢3:25:02 Two Time Boston Marathoner šŸ¦„ Representing šŸ‡§šŸ‡¹

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Until next year! And remember, right on Hereford, left on Boylston!

Queens Distance

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2019 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run & 5K Run-Walk

Welcome to another edition of Edā€™s Calm Corner! This post will be a post-race edition instead of the usual pre-race posts.

Queens Distance just had another amazing weekend with teammates participating in many races in and outside of NYC. Races included the St. Louis Marathon, the President Lincoln’s Half, Rockaway Spring Half, the Boomerā€™s Cystic Fibrosis Run to Breathe 4 Miler, and others. I, for one, participated in the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile race in Washington D.C. along with Vikram Singh, Cathy Huang, Valerie Lores, Abilene De Jesus, Cannigia Laluw, Jessica Peralta, and Diana Wong. Jose Donado, who is coming back from injury, raced and WON the 5K event in D.C.!

At the expo the day before the race, we met with Deena Kastor, American record holder in the marathon, who signed my bib and Dianaā€™s copy of her book, Let Your Mind Run. Itā€™s a personal favorite running book and one that helped me realize that everyone has untapped potential to achieve more than they think is possible. Weā€™ve seen this recently. Many teammates are about to run a marathon very soon (Boston, New Jersey, Queens!) and their training has been excellent. Kevin and I keep an eye out on everyone and itā€™s exciting to see all the progress and achievements being accomplished.

At the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile race, I was not the fastest runner on the field but I succeeded in overcoming self-doubt, earned a personal best, and gained so much from the experience. The training cycle leading up to the sub-58 minute race was tough, but it contained many miles filled with happiness. The following few tips are not for the physical part of training, but more the mental aspect of training which I hope can be useful for experienced runners and new runners attempting longer distances.


Queens Distance right before the start of the race!

Enjoy the training cycle

Many runners run for fun but many run with big goals in mind. These are goals that get us up early in the morning to run and make us plan our yearly calendar in 18-, 16-, or 12-week cycles. Many of these goals wonā€™t be achieved for years, and thatā€™s okayā€”big goals are meant to be broken down into smaller goals that we can reach one at a time.

With a goal comes the commitment to train and have a schedule, one that may not always seem flexible for anything life throws in your direction. One of the most important things I learned this past cycle was to enjoy all aspects of training and not be so strict about it. For me, this meant that taking a trip to Zion, Utah for a half marathon and not running for a week (but hiking instead) before another race was acceptable.

I was worried about losing fitness that week leading up to the Washington Heights 5K but it turned out well in the end. The hiking made up for the lack of mileage as cross-training. You donā€™t always need to run many miles; you can enjoy a trip and still make gains. Reflecting back, the Washington Heights 5K was a club points race and that added unneeded pressure.

Donā€™t be too hard on yourself

There were plenty of times in the past when I was hard on myself leading up to training sessions or long runs, meticulously planning what I wanted to do. This time, I was more relaxed and often decided on a workout right before it was executed. Itā€™s not that I wasnā€™t serious about training, itā€™s just a more relaxed mentality.

Each training cycle is different and sometimes you canā€™t hit a pace in a workout that you were able to execute weeks or months before. Fitness is different each cycle and knowing you are feeling well can be better than hitting a pace in a workout. So when sessions donā€™t go well, let it go, the road will always be there.

Acknowledge that training runs wonā€™t always go as expected

There was one key long run workout I did to prepare for the ten mile race (2x3k, 3x2k, 5x1k) which I did not complete. The first part of the workout went much better than I expected it to go. When starting the last part, unfortunately, I could not move my legs to the pace I wanted to hit. I called it a day but did not consider it a failure. I reminded myself how well the first part went and that was more than enough to cheer me up.

Completed workouts that go well feel great, but they are not always the key. One workout wonā€™t define your training. Whether itā€™s a great workout or a bad one, when you toe the line to your race you are showing who you are based on multiple weeks of training. So, when you miss a workout or it doesnā€™t go well, thatā€™s just another reason to make the next one better. I would not recommend trying to ā€œmake up for itā€ and doing it the next day but instead letting it go and keep with the training schedule.

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Young

Keep to your race plan

For the past two races I had trouble making up race plans. Should I be conservative or more aggressive? Whether you make up a training plan for yourself or your coach gives you one, stick with it. The coach knows you well enough to know you can execute the plan. They believe in you, now itā€™s your turn to believe and achieve.

Signed copy of Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor

The later miles in a race will always be difficult. For a marathon it can be the last six miles, for a half the last three, for this ten miler it was the last two miles. Whether it was a good day or a bad day, my plan was to give everything I had for those last two miles and I stuck with it.

Donā€™t rely on the watch too much

Sticking with a plan means having a pace you want to hit. The best way to keep track of it is with a watch but sometimes it can backfire. Iā€™ve had races where I wasnā€™t hitting the pace and I panicked. Any small amount of panic can cause bad results.

Sometimes, like at the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile race, the watch will read faster splits. Perhaps you need to slow down to a pace you know you can more comfortably hit. But, if you are having a great day and the faster-than-expected splits are feeling good, then why not keep going? The watch can unconsciously set a limit on what you think you should run and not what you are capable of.

Remember why you run

The Cherry Blossom Ten Mile race was gorgeous. As you made turns you could see monuments in the distance and as you went on the straightaways there were cherry blossoms on each side of the road. During mile three or four of the race I reminded myself why I was running the race, who I was running for, and what I wanted to get out of it. You can be fueled with thoughts of ā€œI need to get this timeā€ or ā€œI need to beat this personā€ but I donā€™t believe that will get you far. Whatever or whoever you think of, make sure it makes you smile. Just ask Eliud Kipchoge how much smiling helps him in a race.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Peralta

Failure happens to all of us. Bad failure is hard to deal with. Good failure motivates us to be better. Set the bad thoughts aside and put your heart out there. And remember, you have a whole team behind you!

Edwin