I need your advice. I have to get tri shorts and a tri shirt. However, I do not want to pay full price, because man, they are expensive. Does anyone buy their tri clothes online? If so, from where? I am thinking of buying them from the Sports Basement, but I have never bought anything from there before. Also, how do they typically fit? True to size?
Thoughts are welcome.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Chip Cheaters Busted
As my fellow New Yorkers' know, you have to volunteer for one race (in addition to running 9 races) to get automatic entry into the NYC marathon. So on Sunday, I signed up to volunteer at the Run as One in where else but Central Park. When I got there I was immediately disappointed that I didn't run this race. Wanna know why? Because dude, they gave out tech t-shirts! They never give out tech t-shirts. Wanna know what kind of t-shirt I got for volunteering? A bright yellow long-sleeved cotton t-shirt that will probably never see the light of day again. Also note, that this yellow shirt was accompanied by an equally sexy crossing guard-esque vest that was made for someone a lot bigger than me. (Sorry, didn't get to keep the vest though). When paired with my black bag that I bring to work, it was a hot combination.
I had signed up to be a chip clipper, because, well, you get to sit down while you volunteer. But before I could clip chips, I had to work the corrals at the start. I was in one of the faster corrals and it was my job to make sure that nobody snuck into the corral who wasn't supposed to be there. Well sure enough, people who run 10 or 11 minute miles started moseying into the 7 minute mile corral. Now, normally I am not such a hard ass, but being a fellow runner who gets stuck in this clusterf**k every race, where it is hard to pass people, I thought it was messed up and started regulating on these people (nicely of course). And of course they fought with me. Them: "But I want to run with my friend." Me: "You can run with your friend, your friend just has to go into your corral back there." Them: "Bitch bitch, whine whine." Me: "Please don't fight with me and just get into the other corral!"
Come on people. That is so rude. Corrals are there for a reason. When you take your 10 minute mile self and put it in a 7 minute corral, you will just trip up the people behind you. I think it is really inconsiderate to your fellow runners. Plus, please don't give your fellow runner volunteers who got up at 6 a.m. on a Sunday and are sporting a bright yellow shirt and orange vest a hard time.
Onto the chip clipping. Before the day of the race, we were told, via email, to be on the lookout for people wearing two chips and to report anyone doing so, because this is a NYRR no-no. I couldn't understand why someone would wear two chips. But then someone explained it to me. Apparently, people will wear one chip for themselves on one foot, and one for a friend/significant other who can't/doesn't want to run the race. As a result, the friend/significant other gets credit for the race and the other person's time. Now when I heard this, all I could think of was "If I have to get up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning and run a race to get entry into the NYC marathon, well then so should YOU!"
So I was on the lookout for these "chip cheaters." And let me tell you, I found them (Hi! You will probably be disqualified! Sorry about your luck!). Now, come on people. If you are going to cheat and wear two chips, don't go up to the chip clippers, ask them to clip one of them and then they hope you don't see the other. We are not blind. Smart people would either rip the chips off themselves and hand them in, or just leave and return the chips to NYRR the next day. But I guess these people weren't so smart.
I will say though, every person whose chip I clipped said "Thank you" and some even said "Thanks for coming out and volunteering today." Even the chip cheaters said it. I thought it was really nice.
After volunteering and a post-volunteer nap, I headed over to the Y to get my swim on. I used one the workouts posted by my triathlon team. Total yards: 2000. Did I do it? You bet! I actually did 2100 by accident. But who would've thought I could swim that far! And it didn't even feel that hard! Olympic tri, here I come.
I had signed up to be a chip clipper, because, well, you get to sit down while you volunteer. But before I could clip chips, I had to work the corrals at the start. I was in one of the faster corrals and it was my job to make sure that nobody snuck into the corral who wasn't supposed to be there. Well sure enough, people who run 10 or 11 minute miles started moseying into the 7 minute mile corral. Now, normally I am not such a hard ass, but being a fellow runner who gets stuck in this clusterf**k every race, where it is hard to pass people, I thought it was messed up and started regulating on these people (nicely of course). And of course they fought with me. Them: "But I want to run with my friend." Me: "You can run with your friend, your friend just has to go into your corral back there." Them: "Bitch bitch, whine whine." Me: "Please don't fight with me and just get into the other corral!"
Come on people. That is so rude. Corrals are there for a reason. When you take your 10 minute mile self and put it in a 7 minute corral, you will just trip up the people behind you. I think it is really inconsiderate to your fellow runners. Plus, please don't give your fellow runner volunteers who got up at 6 a.m. on a Sunday and are sporting a bright yellow shirt and orange vest a hard time.
Onto the chip clipping. Before the day of the race, we were told, via email, to be on the lookout for people wearing two chips and to report anyone doing so, because this is a NYRR no-no. I couldn't understand why someone would wear two chips. But then someone explained it to me. Apparently, people will wear one chip for themselves on one foot, and one for a friend/significant other who can't/doesn't want to run the race. As a result, the friend/significant other gets credit for the race and the other person's time. Now when I heard this, all I could think of was "If I have to get up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning and run a race to get entry into the NYC marathon, well then so should YOU!"
So I was on the lookout for these "chip cheaters." And let me tell you, I found them (Hi! You will probably be disqualified! Sorry about your luck!). Now, come on people. If you are going to cheat and wear two chips, don't go up to the chip clippers, ask them to clip one of them and then they hope you don't see the other. We are not blind. Smart people would either rip the chips off themselves and hand them in, or just leave and return the chips to NYRR the next day. But I guess these people weren't so smart.
I will say though, every person whose chip I clipped said "Thank you" and some even said "Thanks for coming out and volunteering today." Even the chip cheaters said it. I thought it was really nice.
After volunteering and a post-volunteer nap, I headed over to the Y to get my swim on. I used one the workouts posted by my triathlon team. Total yards: 2000. Did I do it? You bet! I actually did 2100 by accident. But who would've thought I could swim that far! And it didn't even feel that hard! Olympic tri, here I come.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Race Report: Run for the Parks 4 Miler
Sunday. The best day of the weekend, and thank God this race was on Sunday because Saturday was awful. Between the messed-up trains and the ridiculous wind, Sunday was a blessing. But oh yeah, there was this one part where I had to get up at 5:45 a.m.!! Not to mention I had a class all day Saturday so no sleeping in all weekend.
Anyway, I got a ride up to Central Park on Sunday (score!) and ended up getting there early. I picked up my shirt, bib and chip (no time to pick it up during the week) and then warmed up. I am big into warming up now, by the way. In these shorter races, I do feel that it helps.
This race was not a capped race. So, of course, it was mad crowded. The announcer said there were 8,000 people there. Yikes. At this point, I am getting used to weaving in and out of crowds, although I think it is absurd (and will probably continue to complain about it). I long for one of those Long Island races, where there are no more than a few hundred people in a race. But I digress.
Everything started off all well and fine, until the first mile and a half. That is when my stupid ankle started hurting me. This is the ankle pain I developed in mile 9 of the Staten Island half-marathon and which periodically comes back to haunt me. Usually it bugs me if I try to run over 6 miles. But this time it started after a mile and a half. What the heck? I kept going though, and pushed through it. And eventually this phantom pain disappeared around mile 3.
Oh, and what happened to the water stations? There was only one water station out on the course, when normally there is at least two. Thank God for the hydration belt.
But, back to the race. I was feeling pretty good, and the last mile I usually try to pick it up, but I didn't pick it up too much because it was crowded and I was kind of like "eh, I will wait until I see the finish line and then do my usual sprint." Well, surprise surprise, sprinting was impossible at the finish because of the number of people. I seriously think people actually start jogging when they see the finish line. I mean there was not an ounce of effort to pick it up with some people. I did manage to do a version of sprint with weaving but then someone had the genius idea of setting up a water station right after the finish line. So once people crossed the finish line, they just stopped and tried to get water. Which means the finish line was backed up and you couldn't really run through, unless you wanted to run into a herd of people.
Overall I was pretty happy with the race. The best part was that I knocked off over a minute off my overall time. Another PR! And I was soooo close to getting under a 10 minute mile. Just four seconds and I would've been there. Just think, almost exactly a year ago, I ran my first race, a 4 miler, and ran at a 12 something pace. Now I am almost down to under a 10 minute mile. Woo hoo! That is progress in a year, at least for me.
Goal for the next race: see if I can bring to under a 10 minute mile.
Next race? Looks like it is going to be the Wall Street 5K in May.
2 races down, 7 races and one volunteer event to go for NYC 2010.
Anyway, I got a ride up to Central Park on Sunday (score!) and ended up getting there early. I picked up my shirt, bib and chip (no time to pick it up during the week) and then warmed up. I am big into warming up now, by the way. In these shorter races, I do feel that it helps.
This race was not a capped race. So, of course, it was mad crowded. The announcer said there were 8,000 people there. Yikes. At this point, I am getting used to weaving in and out of crowds, although I think it is absurd (and will probably continue to complain about it). I long for one of those Long Island races, where there are no more than a few hundred people in a race. But I digress.
Everything started off all well and fine, until the first mile and a half. That is when my stupid ankle started hurting me. This is the ankle pain I developed in mile 9 of the Staten Island half-marathon and which periodically comes back to haunt me. Usually it bugs me if I try to run over 6 miles. But this time it started after a mile and a half. What the heck? I kept going though, and pushed through it. And eventually this phantom pain disappeared around mile 3.
Oh, and what happened to the water stations? There was only one water station out on the course, when normally there is at least two. Thank God for the hydration belt.
But, back to the race. I was feeling pretty good, and the last mile I usually try to pick it up, but I didn't pick it up too much because it was crowded and I was kind of like "eh, I will wait until I see the finish line and then do my usual sprint." Well, surprise surprise, sprinting was impossible at the finish because of the number of people. I seriously think people actually start jogging when they see the finish line. I mean there was not an ounce of effort to pick it up with some people. I did manage to do a version of sprint with weaving but then someone had the genius idea of setting up a water station right after the finish line. So once people crossed the finish line, they just stopped and tried to get water. Which means the finish line was backed up and you couldn't really run through, unless you wanted to run into a herd of people.
Overall I was pretty happy with the race. The best part was that I knocked off over a minute off my overall time. Another PR! And I was soooo close to getting under a 10 minute mile. Just four seconds and I would've been there. Just think, almost exactly a year ago, I ran my first race, a 4 miler, and ran at a 12 something pace. Now I am almost down to under a 10 minute mile. Woo hoo! That is progress in a year, at least for me.
Goal for the next race: see if I can bring to under a 10 minute mile.
Next race? Looks like it is going to be the Wall Street 5K in May.
2 races down, 7 races and one volunteer event to go for NYC 2010.
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