My Virtual NYC Marathon of 2020

My Virtual NYC Marathon of 2020

by | Oct 27, 2020 | Article, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

When the New York City Marathon decided to go virtual, I received an invitation to participate in it, not sure why since I did not register even for the lottery. I had no interest. Why would I do a virtual New York when I’ve done it in person twice and it is one of the most amazing running experiences, ever? But the more I thought about it, having a 26.2 on my schedule would give me a tangible goal that, otherwise, there is no chance I would even get close to.

Virtual Marathon

A beautiful addition to the collection that I should be getting soon. This will commemorate my 10th Marathon

Sixty dollars was an affordable price, and a spectacular medal a welcomed incentive. Not sure what else is included, but it is irrelevant. You had between October 17 and November 1 to complete the 26.2. This was just between 8 and 10 weeks away depending on the date I ran it. I settled for October 24th so I could have an extra week of training and a spare one should anything go wrong.

Because of an injury some and health issues I went through last year, I hadn’t run more than 10 kilometers straight during the year. I had gone longer when including walking breaks. Run/walk intervals allowed me to get my fitness and aerobic capacity back. I also had to shed a few extra pounds. So I prepared a NYC plan focusing on steady increment of mileage, management of effort and heart rate control based on full recovery. Finishing time for this one was a secondary consideration. Finishing strong and without injury was more than enough reward.

My plan called for a few running miles at the start and from there on, run half mile and walk another half. Yes, a lot of walking, but I didn’t want to get my heart rate so high that that it would become unsustainable and force me to walk the last 10 miles. As I trained and was able to run more miles, I felt the recovery periods were way too long, so I adjusted. My longest training session was 17 miles, my longest non-stop run was 9 miles. My run/walk intervals got set to .6/.4. I was ready to go.

Virtual Marathon

Thanking God as I cross the finish line, surrounded by my running family.

Then, October 24th, 2020 arrived and at 2:26AM I hit the road. I ran the first 6 miles and met with Bill and Rita about 3:30 am for my first water and resupply stop. From there on, I started my run/walk protocol. At first it bothered me to walk when I still felt strong, but I knew it was an investment towards the last miles, and it paid off. At mile 10, I met up with Ted, who accompanied me the next 8 miles. Up to this point my wife followed me in the car, so slow that a cop found it suspicious enough to stop her.

Close to Mile 17, the most amazing thing happened. A caravan of my running buddies passed by with horns, cowbells, yelling and screaming. A shot of adrenaline invaded my body. They were going to our regular Saturday starting spot, where I met them to pick up my last supply cache from Patrick. Once there, I kept going for my last 8.2 miles with a few friends here and there. Ruben stuck with me and ran/walked with me the whole way, sacrificing his training for the day.

I may have missed then entrance to First Avenue from the Queensboro Bridge, but what my buddies from the No-Club Runners had at the finish line was equally impressive. I choked as I ran towards the line through a tunnel of screaming, yelling, cowbells, paparazzi and the support of those who were genuinely elated to share this moment with me. It was not Central Park, but I wouldn’t trade this finish line for it.

Final time accepted by NYRRC was 5:28:14. Almost two minutes below my wildest expectations.

Virtual Marathon

Post-marathon celebration with my buddies from the No-Club Runners. What an amazing bunch of people.

I have been asked if I count this experience as a completed marathon. If I count it as my 3rd time completing NYC? The answer to both questions is yes. The answers are affirmative because this was an established and scheduled race. It did not happen this year because of Covid. This is not a race that popped up to sell you a medal taking advantage of the pandemic. There was a strict time frame on when to do complete the specific distance. This was not a “run what you want, when you want” scheme. On a personal level, it is not like I’ve ran 26.2 so often that I lost count. This is just my 10th time at the distance.

This experience taught me is that I am mentally stronger than I thought. That if I am smart about how to approach certain challenges, adjusting as I work towards them, I can achieve and complete them successfully and safely. That the marathon is still a great adversary, but no unconquerable. And, above all, that I have a running family for which superlative adjectives to qualify them would make no justice to what they mean to me.

No Fall Races. Now What?

No Fall Races. Now What?

by | Jul 29, 2020 | Article, Opinion, Personal

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A couple of weeks ago we mentioned the Abbott World Marathon Majors, whose Series XIII was crippled by the pandemic that has swept the world. And we can pout all we want but the reality is that, most likely, we will not see any racing at least until the Fall of 2021. If your race hasn’t been called yet, be patient and it soon will. It is the new reality so, lets adjust and move forward with our lives, and on with our running.

Fall Races

Images like this one are a-dime-a-dozen these days. But we need to keep in mind why we started running.

As Dr. George Sheehan brilliantly said: “Racing is the lovemaking for the runner. It is difficult to pass up”. I couldn’t agree more. It is a test against ourselves, a friendly competition against our friends, an opportunity to bonk and learn a lesson, the thrill of seeing a finish line on the horizon and crossing it, the justification for a beer with friends at 9AM, and many, many more reasons.

One of the characteristics of races is that with something on the calendar we remain focused on our training, especially during the miserable days of summer. Why run 20 miles in mid-August, starting at 4AM if you are not running a marathon in the Fall? But there is a say that has been doing the rounds in social media: “Races have been cancelled, running has not”, and if we want to keep moving forward toward the main reason that got us lacing up our shoes for the first time, we better keep moving forward, now, so when races resume we are not starting from scratch.

These are a handful of guidelines/suggestions that will assist you in refocusing and repurposing your running during these uncertain months of no-races:

1 – Don’t forget your main running goal: There is a reason why you started running. It could be to have an active social life, or to lose weight, or to get off the couch or to enjoy alone-time away from your professional or domestic setting. Whatever it was, it still applies, today.

2 – Don’t forget your racing goals: You still want to break 30 in the 5K, or BQ or set a PR in your next half marathon. You won’t get ahead by sleeping in, missing runs, or lamenting cancelled races. You can still get prepared now so you can crush that goal when racing resumes.

3 – Follow a plan: It is good to take a couple of months off after a grueling racing season. Run less, have fun, take extra days off. But you shouldn’t remain in a perpetual off-season. Set plans, goals and benchmarks to move forward, even if those are not racing or PR related.

4 – Work on your weak areas: This is the perfect time to get in the habit of strength training, core workouts, balance drills, yoga (even if it is online), stretching, etc. Make the most of your raceless time.

5 – Challenge your running partner: If you have a running partner, set up a buddy challenge. Who can run the fastest 10K six weeks from now? who can go under a certain time a half marathon? or whatever makes you tick. Just be smart so no one gets injured.

6 – Virtual Racing: Yes, the suck. No, it is not the same. But if you need a challenge in your calendar, this is a better-than-nothing option. PRs will not officially count but, remember the “P” stands for personal. And, you may even add a nice medal or shirt to your collection.

7 – Remember that running slow, makes you faster: Multiple studies have shown that running at a slower heart rate effort will develop your aerobic system, thus, make you faster. Document yourself about this and enhance your running engine during the down time.

8 – Above all, don’t be stupid: Yes, sounds harsh, but it is imperative you don’t injure yourself. Imprudent runners will end up nursing their wounds while their buddies return to racing.

These are just eight suggestions to keep you motivated during the pandemic. I bet you can find 100 more. If you do, please share it in the comments section. And make sure these difficult times don’t get to you.

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Your Local Running Store: Where everybody knows your name

Your Local Running Store: Where everybody knows your name

by | May 20, 2020 | Article, Personal

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

 I’ve been running since I was 11 or so. I did so with the gym shoes my mom bought me in the mid-1970s. I ran at the time with whatever shorts and shirts I had in my drawers. When I started training for my first marathon, at the end of 1982, my dad handed me first pair of running shoes, a pair of burgundy colored, New Balance that he had used to train for his first marathon a few month earlier. In Venezuela, back then, there was no such thing as a running store. You went to your local shoe store and got whatever sneakers was available, or you requested a pair from a friend that travelled to the US or Europe.

Your Local Running Store

My local running store is Runner’s Depot in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Fast forward 40 years and the running store is ubiquitous. There’s not one in every corner but each city has a handful and mostly every town has at least one. The cool thing about them is not that you will find the latest pair of shoes, the latest gadgets, or the latest nutrition. The best thing about your local running store is that if you visit it often, you will become part of its community. In a world ruled by faceless Amazon, you will find what Dr. Frasier Crane found at the Cheers Bar: a place “where everybody knows your name”.

Sure, you can find your favorite pair of shoes online and save $5, maybe $10. Sure, free shipping on your latest purchase of whatever is so convenient. But there is something you are missing that is worth way, way more than what you are saving. You are missing the chance to talk running with experienced runners. You are skipping the opportunity of getting fitted for the right pair of shoes by someone not there just to punch a card and make a commission. You are forfeiting the opportunity of being part of your local running community. You may be losing the chance to be a part of a running group. And, if that wasn’t enough, you are supporting local commerce.

 
Your Local Running Store

Post-run burgers and beers after our Thursday run club

My local running store is Runner’s Depot in Ft. Lauderdale, with the alternate being their Davie location. I went there once to buy shoes and was invited to their Thursday running group. It fitted my work schedule, so I went. I felt welcomed and within a few weeks I made friends. Today, years later, some of the people I met there are my dearest friends. Through them, I was invited to a Saturday morning running group, where I met wonderful people that have changed my life. This is way, way more valuable to me that the few bucks I can save on a pair of shoes or the convenience of receiving a gadget at my doorstep.

When my preferred running shoe goes on sale, Marcus, the store manager at Fort Lauderdale, let’s me know right away. When my Runner’s Depot hat turned into a rag from overuse, Chuck, one of the owners, offered me a brand new one. Beat that, Amazon!

Are there exceptions to purchasing at your local running store? Sure. One time I registered for some kind of running newsletter and was given an $80 coupon. I ended up with a new pair of shoes for $30. And I didn’t feel bad about it. Sometimes at race expos you find incredible deals on running shorts or compression sox, so why not? Most likely you are still patronizing a small merchant.

If you haven’t yet, locate your local running store, introduce yourself to the manager, let him/her know who you are. Hopefully, you will be as lucky as I was when I found my local running store, where now, everybody knows my name.

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“We Have a Decision to Make”. A Reflection From Jason Fitzgerald’s Podcast.

“We Have a Decision to Make”. A Reflection From Jason Fitzgerald’s Podcast.

by | May 13, 2020 | Article, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

ReflectionI just started listening to “Strength Running” a couple of weeks ago. This is a podcast hosted by Jason Fitzgerald that, so far, I feel I can openly recommend it to my readers and trainees.

I am writing this quick blog entry because I just heard episode 138 of the series and it blew my mind. It is a quick, 6-minute reflection from the host on his view of running through the Covid-19 pandemic. It is well thought, well-written and well delivered. I was listening to it during a brisk walk and it stopped me on my tracks. I looked for a transcript in the podcast’s website but was unable to find it, so I am sharing the audio with all of you.

I invite you invest six minutes of your life listening to Mr. Fitzgerald’s reflection. It is less than the time in which most of us can run a mile, and most likely you will get something out of it. The audio file is at the bottom of this post.

I hope Mr. Fitzgerald doesn’t mind my sharing his point of view. If you want more information on his podcast, you can click here to visit his website.

 
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A Backyard Half Marathon

A Backyard Half Marathon

by | May 6, 2020 | Article, Personal

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Backyard Half Marathon

The Half Marathon Course: to the end and back 52 times

As the quarantine progressed and more cancelled races came and went, viral videos of runners doing their once-upon-scheduled-races virtually, or just challenging themselves to mind boggling trials, started popping up. I saw a guy who ran a full marathon in his 23-feet long balcony, another one who did 1066 laps on his backyard. Others ran a variety of distances with unhuman number of laps around their blocks.

My first thought was that I would need a psychiatrist after completing one of these challenges. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was nothing more than a mental experiment. So I went into the backyard of my subdivision and measured the distance from my patio door to the bridge, which was about 0.128 miles, so about 0.255 for the round trip. Doable, for sure.

As I started elucubrating the plan, my wife kept suggesting options for longer routes, so I wouldn’t have to complete an insane number of laps. The more I consider it the more I realized my challenge was not running a half marathon, which between competition and training I have done more times that I care to count. This was supposed to be a mental challenge.

As I have been limited to a run/walk schedule as I wait for a surgery to correct a small health issue, this was the first obstacle. I know I can’t run the entire distance, so I adjusted by running on the way out and walking on the way back. Running for so long on grass was also another challenge. I have never done it for more than a few hundred yards. Could I take it for 50+ laps non-stop?

Backyard Half Marathon

The medal represents my backyard. It was made on polymer clay and it was handmade by my wife.

On Monday, April 27th, I gave the idea a trial run. I went back and forth for an hour and passed the test. So I planned the half for Saturday, May 2nd, so I had Sunday to retry in case there were weather issues. During the week I planned everything I could possibly require. I made sure all the batteries were charged to the brim, that I had plenty of water, electrolytes and nutrition available. I was ready to go.

The first challenge came earlier than expected I hadn’t been running for 60 seconds when my socks were already soaked. Because I have no experience running on grass, I never accounted for it being wet at 6:45 AM. By the end of mile 1, I was seriously considered aborting the mission and retrying in the afternoon, but it was then when realized this was a mental challenge. So I kept moving forward. At mile 7 the grass was dry, so I invested 3.5 minutes in a change of socks, which made a world of difference the rest of the way.

By loop 4 or 5 I had already lost count. From there on I only counted distance, as marked by my watch’s beep every half mile. I was feeling so good at times that my mind wandered as I contemplated going on for maybe 26.2 or even 30 miles. But at mile 11 I realized I was barely trained to complete a half marathon so a half marathon would be good enough.

Towards the end, my wife asked me how many laps to go, to which I answered, “about 5”. A bit later she asked again: “two more!”. As I was coming back from my last lap, I saw a beautiful finish line made with toilet paper, which I crossed big grinned and arms up where she was waiting with an embracing hug and a big kiss. Neighbors on the other side of the canal started cheering and clapping, they must have seen me passing by who knows how many times. As if it wasn’t awesome enough, my wife surprised me with a spectacular handmade medal with an image of the scenery I enjoyed during my run. It now occupies a privilege spot in my medal rack.

What I learned from this crazy adventure is that I am mentally stronger than I thought. I had large playlist of podcasts lined up to accompany me in the journey, but I never even picked up the phone from the table. To me, 52 laps of anything is about 51 more than most of us can handle. Same applies to 103 U-turns. Yet, once I got over the wet sock obstacle, I never wavered from my goal. I also realized that I hope I don’t have to experience another quarantine to see if I can extend my challenge to 104 laps.

Final time, if anyone cares to know, was an unimpressive 3:20:30.

 

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The Post Covid-19 Running Scene

The Post Covid-19 Running Scene

by | Apr 29, 2020 | Article, Personal

By Adolfo Salgueiro

 

Post Covid-19 Running Scene:

The new normal for the pre-run picture

After 28 days in quarantine and strictly running around my home, I ventured out on a Saturday to the site where I usually meet my friends for long runs. At the other side of the parking lot I saw David and we had a nice chat from about 25 feet. Further down the road I crossed paths with Alfredo, who gave me an enthusiastic hi and we had a quick talk. Later, Andy caught up with me and offered me an elbow.

For day 35 I accepted an invitation from a group of friends and met at the parking lot of our local running store. We were 10 people, all super happy to see each other after a hiatus. We opened our arms 6-feet apart from each other to send virtual hugs, blew kisses from a distance and used the wide angled lens to fit everyone in the pre-run mandatory picture.

With the latent possibility of Covid-19 returning in the fall, with the valid proposition of not having a vaccine for about a year and a half, and with the 2020 Berlin Marathon already in limbo, I started thinking:

What will the Post Covid-19 running scene will be like?

I believe social distancing will become the new norm. There is no way around it. Covid-19 will not be the last new virus we will experiment in our lifetime but, hopefully, nations will now be ready to avoid another pandemic. The pre-run group pictures, large groups of runners, high-fiving, sweaty hugs and large post long-run breakfasts, unfortunately, may become a thing of the past.

What will happen with racing?

This is one of my biggest worries. Very few run just so we can race, but most of us love to race in order to celebrate our training. Social distancing cannot work with the Marathon Majors, or the Miami, Los Angeles or Philadelphia Marathons which regularly gather over 20,000 runners. Even 1,000 runners seem like too much right now. Keeping participants 6-feet apart at the start means corral areas longer than 3 or 4 miles for huge races as well as logistic nightmares at finishing areas, even for smaller races. What about water stops, volunteers or spectators? Sure, we still have our local 5Ks, with just 200 or 300 runners, but is that the celebration of your training? Maybe virtual races will become more than just a way to increment the size of your medal rack. I hope we don’t have to get there.

Will we continue enjoying our running without the social component?

Post Covid-19 Running Scene:

What will happen to the post long-run breakfasts with friends?

I passionately believe that most of us run because we love it. If we didn’t, we would be practicing another sport. Yet, the social benefits of our activity of choice are undeniable. Some of my dearest friends were met while running. When my fellow team members put together a birthday celebration after one of our runs, I realized how much they meant to my life. I look forward to the post long-run breakfast every Saturday morning. The post run burgers-and-beers on Thursday nights has become such a highlight in my week that I once asked my doctor to push back a medical procedure because I had a scheduling conflict. Sure, we can run without friends, but I can’t fathom missing this aspect of running

What will the “new normal” be like?

I wish I knew. It is impossible to know, as even Dr. Anthony Fauci and the CDC are still trying to figure out this pandemic. What I do know is that we will overcome this, and we will create and adjust to a “new normal”. It is not like there is an option. We did so in our daily lives after 9-11. We adjusted our financial outlook and behavior after the Great Recession. We became more vigilant after the Boston Marathon bombing. And these are just 21st Century examples. Humanity has proven its resiliency and will find a way. I hope and pray that you, reader, are openminded enough to adjust to the new reality that it is already being created around you.

Always moving forward!

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