C Code, Run

Yesterday, I participated in the 2010 Snowball Run in Wantagh. I like this run, but I’m a bit biased because last year’s Snowball Run was a big milestone for me. Last year’s Snowball Run proved I could handle the sub-freezing temperatures and I just beat my 40-minute goal with a 39:54.

This year’s Snowball Run was also a personal success. My previous-best 5-mile time was 38:20, and I came in at 38:05. Not quite the pace I ran at last week’s Hot Chocolate Run, but still nice to see continued improvement.

Water was available at the finish line along with coffee, bagels and fruit inside Mulcahy’s. I’d say it was a pretty nice spread. Mulcahy’s stage was also the site of the awards ceremony.

They started the race rather suddenly with no fanfare, but I liked it that way; I’d rather just get started. It was 28°F/-2°C about a half-hour before the race, but it was warming quickly and it was a sunny morning.

Overall, it was a great morning and I definitely plan on doing it again next year.

Note: Updated this around 9PM on Dec 13th. I had written about the lackluster raffle and reading it over again a day later, I realized it made the whole post sound negative. I’m still getting used to this blogging thing, everybody!

I’m a little late with this post, but last week, on December 4, I ran in the 2010 Seaford Hot Chocolate Run. It was, as advertised, short, flat and fast. Really fast. Currently, I do my normal neighborhood run at around a 7:40 min/mile pace, but, I must have really wanted that hot chocolate at the end because I turned in a 7:21.  (Complete results here.) Yeah, I’m still far from winning any medals or anything, but since it seemed I had leveled off there for while, it’s nice to still be putting up personal bests.

I forgot my stopwatch, but I noted the times on the mile markers as I passed them.  I hit the first mile in 7:07, the second in 14:25 and the third in 22:00 flat. I finished the 5K in 22:48.

It is a simple rectangular course with the start and finish outside Seaford High School. Water and fruit were available at the finish line and hot chocolate was indeed available in the cafeteria. The awards ceremony and raffle was in the auditorium. The numerous raffle prizes included items and gift certificates from local vendors and sponsors as well as tickets to Knicks and Islanders games.

All-in-all, a fun morning!  I’m already looking forward to doing it again next year.

I run about twenty miles per week. Specifically, I try to get in five 4-mile runs over the course of a week. From this, I derive good health and happiness. I am at an ideal weight and I am in the best shape of my life.

Whenever I talk about running, the question I get most often is, “Are you going to run a marathon?” I already gave away the answer in the title of this post, but here it goes anyway: no marathons for me, thank you.

Mainly, I just don’t have any interest in it.  My relatively short runs have given me everything I could have asked for from an exercise regime. It keeps me healthy and makes me happy.  I know that people specifically target marathons as their ultimate goal when they resolve to get in shape by running. I think that’s awesome if that’s what inspires them to make running part of their lifestyle.  For me, however, that’s not the case.

Then, there’s training for a marathon.  The whole process for a 4-mile run takes a little more than hour.  That process being, changing into running clothes, stretching, warming up, the run itself, cooling down, showering and changing back into regular clothes.  That hour is about all I can spare, and even that is sometimes hard to schedule into a busy routine.  Also, it usually means I spend an hour less doing other things I enjoy. I like running, but I don’t feel the need to take it to that level.

Finally, I don’t want the additional risk of injury. Since the idea of a marathon doesn’t particularly interest me that much, this is a risk/reward equation that just doesn’t balance.

My hat’s off to the people who strive for it and achieve it. I know it isn’t easy.