Tuesday, July 7, 2009
NYC Marathon Training - Updates
After having taken about 3 weeks or so off running since the marathon, I'm just starting my training for the NYC Marathon. June 23rd I ran for the first time since San Diego. Honestly, it felt horrible and I hated every second of it. It was only a 2 mile run but I struggled the whole time. I continued running everyday that week 1-2 miles a day and got in a one 4 mile and one 5 mile run.
Like my brother said we went for our first trail run on the July 3rd. I woke up at about 5:30am and did not feel like running. We got to the meeting spot and I was still half asleep. We started the run and I began to wake up quickly trying to keep and eye out for roots and rocks so I would not trip and fall. I then realized there were a lot of low hanging branches so I had to keep my head up too so I wouldn't knock myself out. I found my self pushing my body the entire run to keep a quick pace. At one point I actually stopped and waited cause I couldn't see my brother behind me. Thinking he might have fallen or got lost I waited till I saw him come around a bend in the path. Once I new he was alright I continued on. On the last leg of the run my brother pulled ahead of me but I was still able to average a sub 9 minute pace for the whole run, which I was pretty proud of considering how tough the terrain was.
At this point, I can't wait to get back up to CT and run some more trails.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Week of July 6 Goals
Monday - 4 miles
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles
Thursday - 4 miles
Friday - rest
Saturday - 7-8 miles long run
Sunday 4 miles
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Week of June 29 Results
Monday: Goal - 4 miles Actual - 3.91 miles.
This run was awesome. Henry and I decided to run from Queens to Roosevelt Island and then run to the northern tip of the island. Lucky for us there was a fireworks show in Queens at Astoria Park and Roosevelt Island was the ideal place for viewing! It was a hot night time run and we ran at about a 9 minute pace. We both felt good afterwards too.
Tuesday: Goal - 6 miles Actual - 5.17 miles.
This was a good run, I was hoping to put in about 6 miles at Central Park, but instead decided to run along the East River. It was a nice quiet run, just as the city was getting dark.
Wednesday: Goal - 4 miles Actual - 0 miles.
Kind of a hectic day with work, then an unexpected visit by a cousin.
Thursday: Goal - 4 miles Actual - 0 miles.
Again cousins visiting from out of state.
Friday: Goal - Rest Actual - ~4 miles.
Met with several Bimblers for a trail run in Guilford, CT. It was my first real trail run and was a great time. It was a lot more work than I expected keep track of roots, mud and branches. I found myself struggling to keep up with Henry, which is rare. Despite the bug bites, scratches and mud everywhere this run felt great afterwards.
Saturday: Eat a combined 10 hamburgers and hot dogs at 4th of July BBQ
I actually focused on the desserts. Only ate one hamburger and bite of Georgia Red Hot.
Sunday: Goal (long run) 6-7 miles Actual 0 miles.
Slept in and then had to make a trip to Rhode Island.
Overall I did start to get back in the swing of things by running consistently. I'm really upset that I didn't get my long run in though. I am happy with how this week went and I am going to try and keep up this momentum.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
What's Ahead
I was fortunate to register for the NYC Half Marathon before it sold out in about a day, so it's about time that I start training for it as I am hoping to improve upon my pace from the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. If anything running the Branford Road Race last weekend taught me that even short runs can be humbling if you are not fully prepared.
Additionally, we have just put together a 12 person team to participate in the New England Ragnar Relay Race. This is an interesting concept as the 200 mile course from New Haven to Boston is broken down into legs from 3 to 8 miles and each runner will run 3 legs for a total of between 15 and 19 miles over the course of 24 hours. This race starts off near where I grew up and the 2nd leg passes through Branford, CT where I've done a lot of my training for the past 6 months. Check out the website for more info on how the logistics of this race work, it's fascinating and I couldn't be more excited about this race.
Since I'm going to be busy running this summer, I've decided to keep on posting about my progress. I haven't yet decided on a goal for the Ragnar Relay, but my early goal for the NYC Half is to average less than an 8 minute mile pace. I'll re-evaluate this closer to race Aug. 16, but for now I think this will be an ambitious yet attainable goal. Yesterday, I officially started my training and ran 5.03 miles in 49 minutes and 59 seconds (as always according to my Nike+). It was an easy run at a conversational pace and by mile 2 my brother and I were warmed up and comfortable and felt like we could continue at that pace forever, even though we haven't been too comfortable running since the marathon.
For the remainder of the week my projected running schedule is:
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Wednesday: 4 mile run
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Eat a combined 10 hamburgers and hot dogs at 4th of July BBQ
Sunday: long run (6-7 miles)
I hope you'll continue to come back and follow my progress as I train for my races this summer. We also expect to get our fundraising totals this week and I will post the results when I get them.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Pictures from Branford Road Race
Branford Road Race
Our marathon has ended but we have decided to keep running (and blogging). In my first organized race since the marathon, I ran in the 29th Annual Branford Road Race today. It's a nice 5 mile run that takes you from the Branford Green to the LI Sound and then loops back around to the Green. I've ran the racecourse several times before but never raced it.
The organizers announced that there was a record crowd of over 1700 runners and it showed as the course was crowded for the first two miles and it was hard to make moves to pass people. After that the field spread out.
I ran a good race and was happy with my time, official results aren't available yet but I finished at around 39 minutes, which would mean I hit my goal of running an average pace below 8:00 miles.
Highlights from the race include passing Racer #1 or CT Attorney General Richard Blumenthal near the 1st mile marker. I was passed by a barefoot runner early on, but then caught him towards the end of the race. There were two bands and a lot of fun crowds spread out along the course cheering us on. I also thought I had passed all of the baby strollers in the field, but I was sad to hear that I was beat by at least two babies.
I think I surprised my parents at the finish, because I appeared more exhausted as I approached the finish line here than I did at the marathon. Hopefully, the pictures they took came out and I can post them.
Overall it was a fun morning, I had my parents, aunt and grandmother cheering me on. I ran into a lot of old friends from North Branford and NDHS as well as my new friends from running in CT.
Check back soon as I plan to post my official results when I get them and there should be updates continuing throughout the summer, as I am in the process of registering for a long distance relay race that will go from New Haven to Boston.
Happy Father's Day!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
San Diego Marathon (Henry's Version)
The day before the marathon we all met as a team for a quick run. Honestly it was probably the first time that the entire NYC chapter of TNT met up and trained together. We went for a quick 20 minute run, and I wasn't feeling that run at all. I just couldn't seem to get into it. I started thinking I wasn't prepared for the marathon, thinking that I didn't train as hard as I could have. Then I realized there was nothing more I could do at this point. I trained as much as I was going to be able to, and I shouldn't waste my time worrying about not being prepared.
On race day we woke up very early. I chugged a big bottle of Gatorade immediately and then didn't drink any other liquids till about 10 minutes before the race. We took a bus over to the starting line as a team, and then had a good 2 hours to wait while we took turns waiting in line at the port-o-potties. Once we got to the starting line I realized it would have been a good idea to bring a sweat shirt cause it was pretty cold out. Though it was a little chilly the 2 hours seemed to go by pretty quickly. I ran to the bathroom once more right before the race started, then met up with 2 TNT girls T. and E. I had trained with for much of the season. We made our way to our coral and waited for the start.
The people in wheelchairs started out first and then everyone else followed shortly thereafter. The race began and we started running then walked and so on till we actually made it to the starting line where we were able to actually start running. We started off at a nice slow pace, which was recommended by our coaches so we wouldn't burn out too quickly.
About 2 miles in we saw Coach Ramon cheering and ringing cow bells. I was actually jealous as to how much energy he seemed to have. A few miles later I saw my parents cheering, taking pictures and holding up a sign that said, "Go Henry!". This was pretty early in the race and and I felt really good at this point. It was nice to have my own little cheering section. Seeing my parents gave me a boost of energy. Between mile 6 and 7, T., E. and I stopped for a quick bathroom break and then got back to the run.
After another mile or so I saw my parents again cheering, except this time as my mom was snapping photos my dad was holding up a sign that said, "Go Sam!". I guess I know who their favorite son is now. j/k Apparently they never saw Sam at mile 7 so they still had his sign up since he runs at a faster pace than me.
We continued going strong for a few miles and then around mile 9 E. seemed to start slowing up a bit. She slowly fell behind us and I didn't see her for the rest of the race. At mile 13, we saw T.'s family and boyfriend. Her boyfriend actually came out and ran about 5 miles with us.
Around mile 17 I started slowing down little and was falling behind T. and her boyfriend. I tried to keep pace with them for a bit longer, but soon realized that wasn't going to happen, so I told them I was going to slow down and they should keep going. About 1 minute after I fell behind T. I ran into someone else from TNT NYC. I kept pace with him for about 1 mile or so but he was having a lot of problems with his knees and could not keep pace with me.
From about mile 18 to the end I kept starting and stopping. I was really starting to feel exhausted at this point. It was starting to get tough for me to keep track of the mile markers so I kept forgetting exactly how far I still had to go.
At this point I would see one of my coaches cheering me on every mile or so. They would run with me for a bit see how I was doing ask if I needed anything. It was definitely helpful to have that support especially in the later miles. It was also nice seeing my coaches because they would give me updates on my brother. So even though I was running by myself I could still keep tabs on my teammates and know how they were doing.
Around mile 21-22-23 or so I saw another TNT teammate. I ran with her till about about mile 25 when I couldn't keep pace with her anymore. I caught my breath for a minute and then ran the rest of the way. Just before the mile 25 marker I saw Coach Steve M. He ran with me for a minute or so, and assured me that I was almost at the finish.
Shortly thereafter I entered the military base, where the race ended. After turning a few corners I ran under and arched entryway and saw the finish line about 1/4 mile ahead of me. I did my best to sprint to the finish line at this point. It felt like I was running fast but in reality I probably wasn't. A few hundred feet in front of the finish line I saw Coach Ramon, again cheering for me ringing his cowbells. At this point I assume he asked me how I was doing, and how I felt, and then told me I was almost there, but I really can't remember what he said. The only thing going through my mind at this point was, "I'm almost there! Finish strong."
Ramon left me a few feet before the finish line and turned back to cheer for the other TNT teammates. I ran through the finish line and felt like a zombie. Every few feet their were volunteers handing stuff out for the runners, cold towel, bottle of water, finishing medal, they took a picture of me with my medal. Then more free stuff, banana, fruit cup, sports drink, reflective blanket. I left that area and made my way over to the TNT area, and with every step I could feel how sore my muscles were. From that point on every step I took was more painful than the last. After finding my bearings I was able to make it over to the TNT area. That's when I saw a group of friends who came out from NYC to cheer for Sam, Mike and I. My parents found us shortly thereafter, and then I saw my brother.
We stretched out and rested for a bit then grabbed some snacks and a few beers. We were finally able to relax...we did it!!!
************
After running in the San Diego marathon one of the questions I got the most was, "Are you going to continue running? Are you going to do more marathons?" Immediately after the marathon my quick answer was, "Give me a week, I'll see how I feel and make a decision from there."
The day after San Diego I randomly dropped my name into the lottery for the NYC marathon, (if you don't know about the NYC marathon it is very competitive and tough to get into) so I didn't actually expect to get in. As it turns out I did get in!!! So keep checking here for more updates as I am about to begin my training for the NYC marathon (hopefully it'll go a little smoother this time).
************
Finally I'd like to take a moment to remind you all why I am actually doing. My brother and I finishing the marathon is only a small personal goal in comparison to the real cause, which as you all know is to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in memory of our grandfather Poppop, Aunt Sandra and Sam's 8th Grade Science teacher Mr. Papa.
If you have not yet made a donation please consider doing so here (the deadline for donations is June 17th):
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/rnr09/hdziekan
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Marathon Recap (long version) - by Sam
In October 2001, I saw my first marathon. My friend Susan was running in Chicago and I went to watch her but didn’t really have any idea what to expect. We had fun cheering her on as she was running, but what really stands out in my memory is seeing her after she finished, wrapped in a reflective blanket, covered in dried salt, slightly hunched over, half-smiling half-wincing in pain and laboring with every baby-step, it was the only time in college I saw her turn down a beer (which I happily accepted). For the past 5 months, I could not wait to have these feelings.
***************
As our flight descended below the clouds in San Diego, I saw that there were more clouds. So much for the beautiful weather I’ve always heard about. On my flight, was a large number of my Team In Training teammates, an announcement by the flight crew told us that we had collectively raised over $450,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This is an incredible accomplishment that we are all very proud of and worked very hard to achieve. Just the running was left now.
Friday, the day we landed, is a giant blur. Our hotel was located next door to the San Diego Convention Center, where the expo was located. San Diego is worth visiting just to see the Convention Center, it is a huge long multi-level building that is probably capable of hosting a dozen events with 5,000 attendees apiece. We dropped off our bags at the hotel and then went to the expo to pick up our race bibs & chips and our T-Shirts. After that there was a blur of schwag, free samples, flyers, sales pitches, models hired to sell merchandise, protein shakes and $1 beers. I abstained from the beer (there’d be plenty of time for that afterwards) but was consumed by everything else. The highlight of the expo for me was seeing a speech by the guy who ran 50 Marathons in 50 days. (He answered my nagging question by explaining that for about 41 of the marathons, he had the race committees recreate the official marathon for him and some other invited runners and they ran the marathons within the bubble of a police escort.)
***************The next morning our TNT group did a quick 20 minute run. My legs felt lousy. After the run we stretched out as a team and went through with our names and where we’re from since many of us didn’t know each other. There were three training groups, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island plus the people that never came to practice. Towards the end of the stretching the sun finally peaked through the clouds!!! The intensity was high, it felt like being under a heat lamp on a cold day. Unfortunately, it didn’t last; after 5 minutes we never saw the sun again during our stay in SD.
The infamous TNT Pasta Dinner followed later that night. It was a surreal experience where we were greeted by cheerleaders and our coaches. We were cheered on as if we were heroes or dignitaries. If I wasn’t so shocked, I would’ve been choked up with emotions. We all enjoyed an excess of carbs (plus butter for me) and then listened to several speakers. One of which announced that nationwide for the San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon, TNT had raised over $8 million for LLS!!!
At 3:15 AM, the wakeup call and alarms started. So much for nothing new on race day…I never wake up that early. We met our team around 4 AM, posed for a team picture (someone please send me a copy), and then boarded a shuttle bus to the starting area. Again, the always beautiful San Diego weather was nowhere to be found, it was cold but tolerable when the wind let up. We had a little over 2 hours to kill before the race started so we just sat in the wet grass mulled over our fates and took turns waiting in line for the port-o-potties.
*************** (This might not all have happened in the order I am writing it down, but this is my best effort at accurately remembering what happened.) ***************
At the start of the race, I entered my coral, but my plans were a little messed up. I was planning to run with two people S. whom I trained with regularly at TNT practices and B. a friend from CT whom I have never ran with, but who already has a marathon under his belt. We all were hoping for a 9 minute pace and to finish just under 4 hours. A late bathroom trip forced me to miss meeting up with B., so I just ran with S. The start was just surreal, I was excited, I had goosebumps when they launched the wheelchair racers and then sang the national anthem. I forget who sang, but she had a beautiful voice. It felt strange to be an athlete again (especially since I secretly looked down upon runners back in my high school football days).
After a few minutes we were off…but not really. We had to walk, then slightly jog, then walk some more for about 3 minutes, until my coral reached the starting line. Then we were off. The excitement of the moment made you feel like you wanted to kick it into overdrive right away, but our coaches drummed it into our heads to start slow, really slow, painfully slow. S. and I held back a little and kept pace with many people around us. We started off just behind the 4:15 pace group, so we needed to get significantly ahead to make our time. The first water station was a mess and intimidating, once the race thinned out a little and desperation took over they became very easy to navigate.
The race started through the Gaslamp District. I saw my parents at mile 4, I still had energy and a positive outlook it was a good time to see them. Still winding through the Gaslamp I saw another friend from back home at mile 5. There was no stopping, at those cheering sections, you just smile wave and keep going. Next I was supposed to see my parents at mile 7 and then again around 13. I was a little disappointed as I passed mile 7 since somehow missed my parents and they missed me. I then felt a rush of guilt from the second marathon I saw Susan run, she qualified for Boston and since that marathon is a straight shot you have one chance to see someone and we missed her at Heartbreak Hill. SORRY SUSAN.
***************
I’ve spectated at several marathons, I saw Susan’s two plus several NYC Marathons since I’ve lived there. In my humble opinion, they are one of the most enjoyable sporting events to see. You don’t have to pay an exorbitant entry fee. You aren’t watching overpaid spoiled athletes. You are largely watching regular people that have busted their asses for the previous 5 months to accomplish something that only 1% of the population ever does. Runners wear team uniforms and/or write their names on the shirts and arms so that people can cheer them on without knowing who they are. Whenever I see a University of Notre Dame singlet I yell out “Go ND!!!” It doesn’t matter who the runner is, they appreciate the random support and boost.
I wrote my name on my shirt, so that people could cheer me on. I also received a lot of “Go Team!” cheers and “New York!” All of them gave me a little boost and forced me to smile even when I felt lousy.
After leaving the Gaslamp, we got on a highway. This several mile stretch from approximately mile 8 to 12 was unequivocally the lowlight for me. The freeway was desolate, with few spectators and the largest hill in the race was at mile 10. The overpasses were crowded, but there were few people on the streets. There was only one band here but they rocked, it seemed to be a Japanese women’s drum troupe. The freeway was also the worst part of the run because the road was uneven, it started with the right side slanting down to the left and then switched and then switched again and again. You couldn’t get your footing even at any point on this stretch so at mile 8 I started to get pain in my left hip! Usually I start getting pain around miles 13 or 14, so this was unsettling to me.
It was around here at a water station that I realized that each one had a different theme. The one in particular was Santa’s water stop. They didn’t give us water but “melted snow”. They were dressed as Mr. & Mrs. Clauses and maybe as elves too. Later themes included Hawaiian, 80s, back to the Future (they actually had a Delorian parked on the side of the road !!!).
Near mile 12, the crooked road, lack of spectators, nagging hip pain and building pressure in my bladder got the worst of me and I had to make my only stop of the marathon. S. kept going but made me promise to catch up to her, “I will” I said, “yea right” I thought. There was a row of port-o-potties, but I still had to wait 2 or 3 minutes in line. I needed to stop for a few minutes to catch my breath and regroup. When I resumed my race I saw a lot of people I had passed earlier. In particular, I saw the 4:15 pace group again, S. and I had already passed the 4:00 pace group by the time I stopped so I had a lot of ground to cover to catch her.
Exiting the highway, was good for several reasons. It was the first place where I saw Coach Ramon (our crazy, energetic head coach with a cowbell), the roads were even after this and the largest hills were now behind me. Ramon gave me a little boost and I proceeded on through the city streets. Within a mile I passed a TNT cheering section and saw our event coordinator Kaitlin and others. Shortly thereafter I saw two of my other friends that came to SD for the weekend to cheer us on. This was a nice boost, plus the streets were lined with other people so there was a lot of energy in this area.
For the next several miles we were running between some main roads with lots of people and some smaller neighborhood roads with enthusiastic residents passing out fruit, ice pops and pretzels. My thoughts were very much in the moment, I tried to think about the people I was running in honor of, but my thoughts kept wandering to things I was seeing around me like other runners, spectators with interesting posters and giant hills that we turned away from just before they started. I kept going back to what S. said when I split from her, that I better catch up with her. I kept pushing myself to find her though I knew it was highly unlikely that I’d find her.
At about mile 17, I found Coach Christine. She said I looked great (Liar!) and that I just missed S. by about 30 seconds. She ran with me for about a minute giving me all kinds of tips, advice and encouragement. A few miles later I saw Coach Steve H. he said I looked great (being a good liar must be a requirement to be a coach) pointed out what was ahead and gave me some salt. One of the truly smart things I did on this course was wait for a water station to empty my salt packet into a glass of water and drink that rather than just pour salt in my mouth. Right after I left Steve, I saw the 21 mile marker.
21 miles!!! I was paying close attention to the mile markers early on, checking my time, trying to keep pace, doing some math, etc. I had stopped caring about where I was for a while, at one point I saw a beach about 100 yards off the road and I just wanted to go for a 5 minute swim and then (maybe) resume running. At 21, I was approaching uncharted territory, I never ran further than 21.5 miles in training. What I realized at mile 21 was that I had less than one Central Park loop to run! Amazing things happened here, my hip stopped hurting, my legs felt lighter and I was overcome by happy positive feelings. The adrenaline rush I got at that point got me through the finish line with energy to spare. The next band I came upon was playing a Dave Matthews cover so that got me pumped up too. I was in cruise control and felt better than most people that I was passing on the course.
Although every once in a while, I was being passed by a runner that looked incredibly fresh. No signs of fatigue and they weren’t covered in sweat, were they super men & women? No, these people were running a relay race and only had one 5 mile leg to run. It was took me a few minutes to put all of this together, but I was glad I did b/c it was discouraging to see them, thinking that they looked so good after 20 miles.
I saw Coach Mike from Brooklyn and he said I looked good (finally a coach that was telling the truth, maybe I’ll train with the Brooklyn group next time). I told him I felt great and I was not exaggerating. Maybe it was my first runner’s high, maybe it was just some mind over matter zen trick, but I started passing some teammates that I should not have been able to finish ahead of. I was talking to these people offering them support, but there was nothing I could do, they had cramps they needed to power through or they had fallen and just needed to suck it up for another 3 miles.
Finally, I saw Coach Steve M. at around mile 23 or 24 and he was running with S.!!! I finally caught up with her, but she was in trouble. I had to slow down and run with her and make sure she finished. Being one of the most energetic and talkative people I have ever met, it was disconcerting to see S. so exhausted. In our training long runs, she usually talks constantly right up until we finish. This time it was my turn to talk. I had learned a lesson not to ask any questions, so I just started talking about anything that came to mind. I also tried to get some spectators to cheer for S., but they just looked at me like I had 5 heads so I didn’t do that again. As bad as she was we were still able to keep a pretty decent pace at around 10 minute miles or so and unbelievably we were still on pace finish under our goal time of 4 hours!
The last mile plus was lined with people, it was exhilarating to get to that point, I wanted to just take off but I had to make sure S. finished too. We saw Coach Ramon and his cowbell again. He gave us a last bit of encouragement and left us to finish on our own. As soon as we crossed the finish, S. just about collapsed and needed to be helped by medical volunteers and my legs just stopped working. The pain/stiffness was incredible. It’s amazing what the mind can do to keep the body moving.
Two medical guys supported S. through the finisher area and I hobbled along behind, getting my medal and then smiling for a photo. We got some ice, reflective blankets, tons of fruit, energy bars, drinks and whatever else they were giving away and finally met up with our family and friends that came to see us.
***************
The most important thing that happened during the marathon, that got me to finish in a decent time, was when I took my pitstop and S. told me I have to catch up with her. Many times after that as I was chasing her, I would think how nice it would be to walk for a little while, but I knew I would probably never catch her if I did. Knowing that I had to catch her, kept me going. When I finally did catch her, I needed to stay with her to keep her going. There was a very good chance that she wouldn’t finish if I didn’t distract her and help her in any way I could. Since we had trained together it was only appropriate that we crossed the finish line together at 3:57:55.
Monday, June 1, 2009
We did it - Quick edition!
| Bib | FName | LName | City | State | Country | Age | Sex | ChipTime | ClockTime | Overall | SexPl | DivPl | Pace | Ttlrace | Ttldiv | Ttlsex | 10 Km | Half | 21 Mile | |
| 8546 | Salvatore | Dziekan | New York | NY | 29 | M | 3:57:55 | 4:01:18 | 2447 | 1837 | 361 | 52.5% | 9:05 | 13291 | 1262 | 6828 | 55:55 | 1:56:49 | 3:09:07 | |
| 8547 | Henry | Dziekan III | New York | NY | 26 | M | 4:49:42 | 4:52:24 | 7082 | 4411 | 870 | 43.1% | 11:03 | 13291 | 1262 | 6828 | 1:03:20 | 2:17:43 | 3:50:11 |