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In a New York state of mind…
By Kevin | January 24, 2010
No, I’m not talking about the Jets…although I definitely enjoyed their exciting run into the playoffs as the underdog.
Could this be the year for the New York City Marathon for me? In reviewing the entry rules, it seems I should hear something in late January about my “guaranteed entry” for 2010. The lottery rules state that if a runner is denied entry for three consecutive years, then he or she is guaranteed entry in the next year. So, I’m expecting to be notified soon about being granted guaranteed entry, since I’ve been denied in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
With that on the horizon (if you can call November the horizon), it’s time to start training again! Although I got one more state completed in 2009, I didn’t train very well for it, and from May through the rest of the year, I hardly ran at all. So, physically speaking, I lost a lot in 2009. I’m pretty-much starting out from scratch again. I literally had a whopping 3 days of running between the NJ Marathon (May, 2009) and today. The last of those three was a rather impulsive 11-mile run in November, despite not having run much at all since the marathon in May. It felt good to be out there, but I know I need to build-up more gradually to the NYC Marathon, especially because of the hilly course. Mentally, however, that run was a huge confidence-builder. To be able to go out and run a cold-turkey 11-miler (even if it was slow) was more than I thought I was capable of at that time.
The NYC Marathon is not known as a fast marathon. It is known primarily for being HUGE, and LOUD, and unforgettable…but not for being fast. The course is surprisingly hilly, especially between mile 20 and the finish. Many of the hills are both steep and long, usually because you are running either up or down a bridge, an on-ramp, or an exit-ramp. Running through Central Park has some rolling hills, and then there is a significantly steep incline for the last quarter-mile or so to the finish.
So, I’ve got basically 9-months to prepare, which should be more than enough time to re-build a solid base, build my mileage, attack some speedwork and hills, throw in a few short practice races, and taper well to November 5th. Stay tuned…this could be an interesting training year!
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