From David Greenberg of the 40+:
The CPTC 40+ put a bright orange ribbon on the 2015 club points championship with a very fast day in the five boroughs.
The team put three under 2:50 for second place, one spot on the podium higher than main rivals West Side Runners. NYAC won the day with the help of a certain Meb Keflezighi.
No matter what happens in the one remaining race – the Corbitt 15k – the 40+ will repeat as champions. It’s over but for one more post-race cinnamon raisin bagel.
While winning races is fun, it’s fitting that we won the championship by finishing second – we have won only three of the ten races so far – we just keep putting points on the board and we don’t miss any opportunities. I’ll take it.
Our scorers were Rich Nelson (2:41), Nicholas Thompson (2:46) and Douglas Tsao (2:49).
Rich Nelson
Photo: David Greenberg
Race of the day honors go to Rich and Rich alone – His 2:41 is #9 all-time for the CPTC 40+, was a 10 minute course PR, and a negative split.
Rich:
Finally had a marathon where just about all went right – good consistent training (relatively injury free), nutrition/hydration and weather. I ramped up my training mileage a bit too for this year’s race. After setting a PR in Boston this April of 2:46:06 (in some lousy weather), my primary goal was to run sub 2:45. I trained with a goal race pace that would hopefully deliver a 2:43-2:44.
My race plan was to follow Tony’s 10/10/10, with the intention of running 6:15s for 10 followed by 6:10-6:12s for 10 miles, and then seeing what I had left. I inadvertently put down a 5:30 for mile 2 coming off the Verrazano bridge, banking 45 seconds. Around mile 3 I reigned myself in so as not make the mistake of going out too fast, despite feeling very good. Lots of people began passing me in the next couple of miles, but I knew I would have the opportunity to reel most of them in later in the race, so I stayed within myself.
I saw and met Nick around mile 4, and we quickly realized we had similar goals, so we worked together most of the way from mile 4 to the Queensboro bridge. I hit the half marathon mark in 1:20:57. I knew that was a little fast for my goal of 2:43/2:44, but I attributed it to the 45 seconds I picked up on mile 2. I continued up 1st avenue still feeling strong and consistently passing people. Felt good and strong all the way to 5th avenue. Around mile 23, began feeling tired – recognizing that I would likely achieve my primary goal, my brain tried to negotiate its first deal to slow down and still make the sub-2:45. I knew better than to listen, so dismissed those thoughts and convinced myself that I can continue to push and it would be worthwhile. When I finished mile 25, I did some quick math and realized that if I could average sub 6 for the last 1.2 miles, I could come in under 2:42, which was beyond my most optimistic time goals for the race. I put down a 5:54 for mile 26, my 2nd fastest of the race, and was thrilled to nail the 2:41:46, a 4 minute 20 second PR.
Wound up running an eight second negative split, which was a secondary goal. The support of teammates this year was unparalleled to any that I can remember – the Orange were out so strong throughout the race course – it was awesome and really helped keep me motivated. So a big thanks to all of you who were out there cheering teammates!
#3 scorer Douglas Tsao also set a course PR, breaking 2:50.
I couldn’t have asked for much more with a 2:49:24, nipping my PR from 2011 by 27 seconds. A bit of an up-and-down season for me but a good result in the Bronx 10-miler gave me some confidence heading into yesterday. Pleased with my race execution and doubt I could’ve asked for more with 1:24:30/1:24:54 splits. I took what the course gave me and was careful not to get greedy. Really wanted to make sure I kept enough in the tank for the second half.
I thought I was running with a Canadian for the first ten miles, because I kept hearing people shout, “Go Canada” until I realized at mile ten that they were cheering for me. I was wearing the black singlet without the team name (doh!). Nice lift from Uli shouting some encouragement when I saw him just before the Queensboro Bridge. The headwind up Fifth Avenue was tough and, man, I started to have some doubts. The flat at Engineer’s Gate was certainly welcome and seeing my son just before Cat Hill gave me another boost into the closing 2 miles. Figure I’ve got a few more years to give 2:45 a shot, but I’m going to enjoy this one for a while.
The marathon was Nick’s first scoring race with the 40+ after recently graduating. Bravo, Nick and we look forward to many more.
Ultramarathoner Alex Tilmant had a short day by his standards and ran 2:56.
It was a beautiful day for running. I cruised until half-point on the Pulaski Bridge and pushed the pace a bit on the Queensborough bridge and First avenue. It was my 10th NYC Marathon and I never felt so good on that section of the race. I had a very pleasant race until hitting the Bronx. I didn’t take my last gel as I should and started to slow down. By then I was well within my sub-3 hour goal just a few weeks after UTMB so I kept a safe pace for the last five miles. NYC is a hard marathon, the uphill on 5th avenue by mile 22.5-23.5 is a killer, but overall my 10th NYC Marathon went smoother than my previous ones.
Andy Zhang set a course PR by a full ten minutes.
Tim Stockert (2:56) ran his fastest NYCM since 2011.
Brenn Jones (3:01) ran 7 minutes faster than last year, and Antonhy Demaio ran three minutes faster than 2014.0
Andre’ Lejeune
Photo: Sue Pearsall
Andre’ Lejeune’s (3:14) comeback just keeps getting better, if in need a massage:
Great news hearing that the 40+ crew will repeat as champions. I had a great time riding the team bus to the start and hanging out with teammate Alan Ruben in the staging area and corral A. This was his 28th NYC Marathon in a row, so what better way to be inspired at the start of the race.
In the staging area before the gun went off, I found teammates Ken and Kieran. Ken had the same goal and race plan as I did so we ran together for the first part of the race. I lost him at one of the water stations and then met up with him again late in the race. My goal was to run under 3 hours for the first time. I was right on pace through the half and was feeling great and enjoying the race. I apparently was losing a lot of salt and by around mile 22 or 23 started cramping up and the wheels fell off the bus. I willed myself to the finish line in 3:14… After walking for a short distance, both calves locked up with severe cramping and it was man down.. I spent about 20 min. in the medical tent getting them massaged out and receiving salt and gatorade before heading home… I’ll live to try again!!
Two NYC debuts: Larry Go and Jerome Pinard.
Highly coveted spots on the Alan Ruben Negative Split Hall of Fame go to just two athletes:
Nick Garramone
Photo: Bob Cowin
Rich Nelson and Nick Garramone (3:31)
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A few weeks before the marathon, a crew of five drove up the thruway to Saratoga for the USATF Masters 5k XC National Championships. Despite a freak snowstorm in the first mile, the CPTC 40+ powered on to a third place team finish. In my memory that is the first time we have medaled at that meet so it was very sweet.
Participants: Armando Oliveira (16:44), Brad Kelley (17:15), David Greenberg (17:27), Sherman Lau (17:56) and an injured XC Captain John Milone.
From Chris Donnelly of the 50+:
You can tell it’s a bit warm for a marathon when some of the spectators are in t-shirts. That was already old news to participants in the 2015 New York Marathon, many of whom had been lounging around that morning in the start village in their running kit, rather than bundled up in layers of throw-away gear. The slight sprinkle of rain clouding the windshield of the CPTC bus as it emerged from the Battery Tunnel into Brooklyn early that morning let us know humidity would be ever present throughout our run, and it definitely felt warm already on the way down the Verrazano. But that’s the marathon, and New York rarely serves up a perfect day for those of us running the five borough race.
From Hank Schiffman of the 60+:
“Richard Shaver, who is tied for second on the men’s list, with 38 straight finishes after Sunday’s, had had knee surgery since last year’s marathon but didn’t consider skipping this one, even though he hadn’t trained as much as he had planned. He is achingly close to the top of the streakers’ leaderboard, you know.
“Am I the one with the longest streak?” Shaver, 63, said. “Frankly I don’t know. But I’m going to be the last one standing.”
He then took a shot at a 72-year-old runner named Dave Obelkevich, the current No. 1 streaker, who finished his 39th straight New York City Marathon on Sunday. “I’m sorry; he’s a retired music teacher, a grandfather,” Shaver said. “I’m working every day, and I fit my running in.”
Shaver, a lighting specialist, laughed as he spoke because Obelkevich seems invincible, having finished 104 marathons and 185 ultramarathons. But I got the feeling Shaver wasn’t kidding. This is a tough guy we’re talking about, one who passed out from heat exhaustion a half-mile from the finish in 1979 and then said to medical workers, “Give me back my shoes!” so he could finish.
(For the record, Shaver finished Sunday’s race in 4 hours 56 minutes 35 seconds. Obelkevich finished in 4:57:01.)”