Philadelphia Half Marathon

Wow! what a day. Sunday 11/18/12 was the Philadelphia Marathon and Half Marathon.  I was able to obtain a race number from another BrooksID'r.  (Stephen )  I tried my best with not much training and suffering from what I think is a broken little left toe. 
I started out too fast for me and then I had to go into cruise mode from miles 4 until about 10.  This was sad when there wasn't that much speed coming out of my legs. 
The race started out on the Ben Franklin Parkway then down towards Race Street, past the Reading Terminal,  then down towards Delaware Ave. to then make a right turn on to Washington Ave and a right Front St. Then a left on to South St. to a right on Six St. and left on Chestnut St. we took that all the way up to 34 St. and then the fun began. Wow!  I never realized how difficult the rambling hills were through West Philly.
The route then took us towards the Philadelphia Zoo, across Girard Ave. down the hill and back up Sweet Briar Hill, which felt like 15% climb. Down Parkside Ave. and quick turn towards Memorial Hall/Please Touch Museum.  then a left and down Black Road, with a extreme down hill.
We then ran about 500 yards up West River Drive and did a quick cone turn and then I knew this was it for about 3 miles to. When I approached the end of the Drive the huge signs Stay Right for Half Marathon, I just kicked into a finish mode and tried to end it with a Personal Record. 

Link to Race Course:
Link to Results.

Distance	HALF MAR
Clock Time	01:29:33
Chip Time	01:29:20
Overall Place	245 / 10958
Division Place	13 / 333
Pace	0:06:48
Rank Gender	206
Split10K	00:40:1

It's been a while!!!

Since I last checked in:
Gary Papa 5K Prostate Cancer Run: June 17,2012
28th Overall
3rd age group
18:31 PR
Results

Ran Jenkintown Summer Sunset 5k Run: June 19,2012
8th overall
1st age group
18:58
Results
Course was mismarked

Riverton July 4th 5K Run
5th overall
1st age group
18:49
Great Course
http://www.riverton4thofjuly.com/photo_gallery2012.html
http://www.riverton4thofjuly.com/images/gallery/july42012/5k_race/index.html
Results

Virginia Wine Country 2012:Post Race Update

What a fun weekend spent with my wife Jessica and 4,000 other runners and walkers in Loudoun, Virginia. I never knew that there was a wine country in that area but it was really cool.  The weekend started out with me doing an easy warm up run on Friday morning for 4miles.  I just wanted to relax for the drive down to Virginia and  a pre-race loosen up the legs.
Then we packed up the car for a nice long road trip. 1st stop dropping off Lillian and Heeli at my parents. And then we were off!!!
When arriving VA, we went to the Lansdowne Resort on 44050 Woodridge Parkway, Lansdowne VA.
Jessica and I then went to check in with her co-workers and the other Team Challenge Runners/Walkers from Crohns Colitis Foundation. 
I went to pick up my race bib# with timing chip and T-shirt.  The rest of Saturday was free to relax and eat.

Jessica had to work at the first sitting of the Team Challenge Pre-Pasta Party/Inspirational Dinner. Then we both attended the 2nd seating for the pasta dinner. I had so much pasta and drinks so that I could run the next day without eating in the morning.  Fortunately we both had early night and I actually went to bed at a reasonable time because we had an early wake up.
The race officials tell you to get to the starting area very early and Jessica wanted to drive over.  So at 5:30 am we left the hotel for the commute over.  It looked as if it were just runners driving on the roads at that time in the morning to the start of the race, who else would be up that early????

When we arrived I did a nice warm up for about 20 minutes to relax and get a little sweat going.  There was a slight chill and I was not going to be happy if it was cold to run.  I'm not like regular runners and like it chilly to run, I want it warm. The race was supposed to go off at 7am up there were still buses coming down the road dropping more people off.  So we really didn't get running until 7:30am.
Once we were off I got into a nice pace.  There was a pacer pack with the leader holding a 1:30 sign and I was trying to catch him and then stay with that group.  As my body warmed up during the first mile I felt like that I could go a little faster so I did. I looked at my Garmin 410 and went down to 6:30 pace.
My legs were moving great on the nice undulating roads.  Until I made it to mile 6, then BAM!!! the roads kept going up up and up.  I just tried to stay with any pace that I could without going backwards, so to speak. Finally I passed through the hilly section at around mile 9 and then there was a slight down hill and a turn to get to mile 11.  I couldn't wait to see the mile 11 sign because then I knew only 2 more miles to go.
At that point it felt like I was getting passed by one after another runner.  I just couldn't find enough speed to hold them off for the last miles.  So then at mile 12, I just held my speed and one last woman passed me and I worked off her stride until the finish.  I tried so hard to get a last kick but there wasn't that much energy left in the tank.  We both made a right turn and I thought the start finish zone was the same but they moved the finish area columns back what had seemed to be 1,000 yards down the dirt road.  So I was still trying to stay with this woman and just 20 feet from the end I made a last minute kick with the roar of the crowd and the announcer saying my name, passed that woman who I'd kept up with at the end.
I was just so happy to finish and take a deep breath.
At the end I was really pleased with my time and place.
 

23place #1057 Bennett Brookstein  Gun1:29:25 Net1:29:14  pace6:49 M  40 Philadelphia

Placed 2nd in my age group 40-44

Finishers Wine Glass (if you are over 21)

Race Bib#

Finishing medal (wine stopper and bottle opener)

Won a $20 gift certificate to winery and got a bottle of wine.

Front of Shirt

Back of shirt

Getting ready for the Virginia Wine Country 1/2 marathon

The Virginia Wine Country Run is this weekend and I'm looking forward to have some fun on the race course and spend some time with my wife too.  I haven't traveled for a race in a while and I'm sure this weekend is going to be a blast.  I've heard the course is nice and has some shade around miles 6-8 and rolling hills.  I don't think the weather will be to bad, because I like it warm.  So let's see how the day will go.
Here is the link to the race and follow me and my check out my results later.
http://www.run4virginiawine.com/
http://www.run4virginiawine.com/race-info/results.aspx

Try The Stick!!

If you haven't seen my video.  This was from the NYC marathon 2009 expo.  Check me out discussing the benefits of The Stick.  A great massage tool for muscles that's great for all athletes.
www.thestick.com

Post Broad Street Run

Well the weekend was great and now I'm really tired.
I got up so early to walk the dogs so that I could be out of my house before 6am. Then I had my group  ready to load up the car and make our way to the FDR Park to park my car and set up for the Post Race tail-gate party. We all got on the shuttle bus to take us to the SEPTA subway station at Broad and Pattison. The Subway cars were so packed and totally congested.
When we arrived at the end of the line, Broad and Olney Stop everyone got out and was ready to go to their corals. I was in the 1st coral red that was right at the starting line.
The race started right on time at 8:30am and I was off too with 30,000+ runners.
I tried to keep a fast first mile time and then I wanted see how long I could hold that pace. Well I couldn't  hold it that far. So I just settled in and tried to keep a 6:30-6:40 area pace for the entire run.  And I did just that.  I was able to finish in 65minutes and was really happy.  I haven't seen a fast race like that in a while.
Here are my results straight from the Broad Street Run's website.

Bennett Brookstein #1084

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Age: 40 Gender: M

Distance

10M

Clock Time

01:05:22

Chip Time

01:05:10

Overall Place

511 / 33982

Gender Place

455 / 14964

Division Place

40 / 1801

Pace

Split3Mile

00:18:47

Split5Mile

00:31:56

Split7Mile

00:45:15

Look up your results:   http://resultsarchive.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?rsID=127732

This is it!!! Broad Street Run in Phila.

This is one of my favorite weeks to run, because one of my favorite races is this weekend, Broad Street Run.  I've been running this race since middle school so I'm going on 22 years in a row.  I love this week leading up to the race.  I get all pumped up and I try to put myself in a good calm mental state. The BSR is one of the largest 10 miler races in the US. It is a straight point to point course with a half turn around city hall in Center City Philadelphia.  The run starts around Broad and Olney and ends past Broad and Pattison in the Naval Base. http://www.broadstreetrun.com/upload/images/BCBSR_course-map2012.jpg    and it's a great way to see the city of Philadelphia on a Sunday morning.
I'll be working at the Expo, that will be located at Lincoln Financial Field (where the Philadelphia Eagles Play) I will be selling The Stick. Of course one of the most beneficial training tools that you must have.  Stop by my booth, #8 at the expo for a free massage. If you have not purchased one, then I guess you'd like to stay tight after the race.
Then Saturday night the Fairmount Running Club, will be hosting our annual BSR Pre-Pasta Party. It is a blast every year. We all relax, discuss the race, talk about strategy and most of all eat.  The Pasta Party is not a late night event because everyone needs to get up nice and early to run the race in the morning.
Sunday of course is the big event!!!! The Broad Street Run!!!
The Run kicks off at 8:30 am, with some greeting from the mayor and race director. Then the run begins. This year I'm just trying to do my best with race and have a fun race.  I'm not looking at killing myself but naturally I would like to have a great race finishing time. 
My favorite event this weekend is the Fairmount Running Club Post Race Tailgate Party!!! it is one of the best times you can have after running.  There is tons of food, drinks, stories, friends, enemies, dogs, and more.  FRC has been hosting this event with several other clubs for many years too. The party will be in FDR Park, under I-95 (by the Skateboard park and the Baseball fields)  Look for the FRC banner and a tent.  If the weather is nice after the race we could be out there for hours. 
Look back for more updates on post race to come. 

17th Annual Dash for Organ Donation

The Organ Donor Dash is in support of Organ and Tissue Awareness donations Gift of Life Organization. The race was my 1st run for 2012 season with 3 other big races to follow in the next up in coming weeks.

The race was on 4/15/12 on West River Drive in Philadelphia. There was a 10k and a 5k race that both started out at the same time, at 10am.  I ran the 10k which was an easy out and back course.  The group stayed together until the 5k turnaround and then just the 10k runners still had another 2.5 miles until our turnaround.
I finally caught up to someone I know from FRC at the turnaround.  I stayed with him for a little while and then had to increase my speed.  I saw Steve Hamilton and Mike Alleruzzo when I was on my way back towards the Art Museum.  Steve screams out Bennett your # 14, so I had to see if there was any chance of picking up my pace.
So I tried to increase my speed but there wasn't that much I could do but just hang on and try to let others pass me at the finish. 
I was really happy with my results finishing 13th overall. 12 Male. 1st Male in my new age group. Time of 40:20
Also Carolyn Gray and John won awards for their age groups too!!
Here is our finish picture with our medals.

Weekend Runs!

Trail Run Saturday 2/18/2012: Ran with Eugene leading and the group we ran the Wissihickon Trails in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia.  This run was about 8 miles with some nice challenging hills and hill repeats. JJ came along for the run too! He had a blast and saw so many other dogs on the trails.
A great run and I felt really strong on the climbs and took it easy on the flats. I wanted to beat my quads up on hills so that when I train on level ground I would be stronger. Plus this also helps when racing if you run harder on practice runs.

West River Drive out and Back 2/19/2012: Well I woke up really early with the crys of the baby Lillian and I couldn't go back to sleep. So I thought I would go the gym and run on the treadmill 4-5 miles.  So I drive down and remembered that the gym didn't open until 8 am. So I couldn't wait and drove back home changed quickly and went for a run on West River Drive.
It was a little chilly at first on the way out.  I think the temperature was in the 30's. I'm not like most runners and I'd rather be warmer from the start and stay warm. 
Because I was only going to run a couple miles at the gym, I figure if I go outside, I might as well do more.  So I ended up running 7 miles with a brief back workout at the gym. I was averaging miles in the 7:20 min/mile and I felt great.  Especially after doing a hard trail run the day before.  Running on the flat West River Drive was a great recovery run for my beat up legs.
Today wore my Brooks Pure Flow shoes, Brooks Spartan Pants, Brooks Essential Running Jacket. 
 

The wait is almost here.....

I'm counting down for my break in action, so to speak.  I will be writing in periodically on my blog infrequently for the moment, so please keep checking in.  I'm getting nervous and scared on what will happen in the near future.  I will be asking a lot of questions and hopefully getting some good advice.
Check back in on further details.

On another note JJ, the crazy cocker spaniel is an awesome runner. He watches me put on my running gear and starts to freak out. He wants to run with me every time.  (JJ is in the bottom left of sitting in the back of my Jess's car after running the Christmas Race, running 6 min miles)

New Shoes: Brooks Pure Project- "PureFlow"

Yesterday was the first day I wore my new Brooks Pure Project "PureFlow" shoes.  They are part of the new Pure Project light weight line.  I choose this model to give me slight support with cushioning.
I ran with my buddy Eugene on one of the coldest and windy days of the new year.  Temps were in the teens and with a wind chill of 10 degrees.
I started out running in front of my house and just cruised, not to pushing to hard in my new shoes.  With a nice 8:30-9 minute pace the Pure Flows felt great through out the entire training run.
For me the shoes felt like one of the most lightest shoes I've ever worn.  I'm normally use to Brooks Adrenaline       These are a support shoe and I highly recommend them to anyone that doesn't have a perfect: foot, heal strike, flat feet, run on multiple surfaces, pronate, breathable, fit orthodics, and are long lasting.

The PureFlow as you can see here are black and neon yellow.  And as you can see the Brooks Logo is reflective.  Another item I like is the tread on the bottom, which includes a slight split toe tread by the 1st and 2nd toes.
Here are some of the Specs:
Category: Guidance
Weight: 8.7 oz
Platform: Anatomical Last
 Technologies
• BioMoGo DNA Midsole
• IDEAL Heel
• Toe Flex
• Nav Band
• Anatomical Last



New Brooks Pure Project Video

New Year New Post New Person for 2012!!!

Well 2011 was a great running/training/teaching/coaching year for me.  I now 2012 and the fun and stress to start off with at a fresh new slate.
I finally purchased some new Brooks Running Shoes, glove/mitten combo, and Garmin 410 GPS watch.
Now I actually have to go out and train.  Let the fun begin.
So the past 3 weeks now I've been running the Wissihickon trails with FRC and having a blast.
Now with the weather changing, who knows how I can still go out with one day it's freezing and the next warm. 

So now it's time to play with the Garmin and try to use some of it's functions.
Stay well and have a great 2012!!

I will be having fun in the months to come.  Will keep everyone posted.