Survival of the fittest may be a good title for this race which was held Saturday morning in a frigid Central Park. Temperature in the low twenties, a threatening wind, and a fresh blanket of snow on the park and park roads made this one to remember. Fewer runners than last weekend, but still a very large turnout in a winter wonderland. Had to hand it to the volunteers, this one should guarantee entry to the NCMY for standing there in sub freezing temperatures for hours watching the water in the cups freeze over. I could turn mine over at the water stop and none spilled out…

I ran this one with a friend as back of the pack bunnies, but as you can see by the graph, we snowplowed our way to negative splits. The bump at mile 6 was me taking a potty break. Here are the splits:

1. 10:12
2. 9:04
3. 8:53 

The first two miles was like learning how to skate again on a crowded rink, we were back in the third corral and it was pretty bunched up.

4. 8:41
5. 8:31 – 5 mile split of 45:21 – 9:04/mile
6. 9:17 – visit mr. john

7: 8:15
8: 8:12
9. 8:10 – second 5 mile split was 42:25 – 8:29/mile 

Totals 15k- 1:20:05 – 9:12/mile but the early crowding and the slippy start cost us a lot of time. At the end my friend had some mysterious jolt of energy around Cat Hill and opened up a 10 yard lead, by the last mile it had tripled- I didn’t see him finish. Nice kick. I was content with avoiding congestive heart failure…

We got lucky with the wind, which was not a factor although at the end heading northbound I was feeling it. But surprisingly not cold even at 25 degrees with the right clothing. 

End of year thoughts on running…

Some 500+ miles covered since June when I began. The calendar only says “June 1, first run”. I cannot remember how far or even where I went. Since then I have run in Ontario, Omaha, Dallas, New Delhi (ok, that was on a treadmill in the hotel gym…) and Bhutan-that was though rice fields.

It is hard to describe just what it is exactly that I have gotten out of running. Part of it is control, certainly, that I can make my body do something continuously, automatically even, that is outside of daily living and breathing. Like an engine, the body becomes a motor for the mind to drive around, and the world becomes the view out the window. It is not that far from photography really. The inner mind of perception looking out through an eye or lens or window onto the world. And the unfolding of a landscape rolling sideways. There are times in running where it does feel very much like this, like being in a car driving, or in a train looking out at the homes and fields and trees passing by. The way I am describing it suits my personality, for sure. I am describing being immersed yet distant from the world, and those of you that know me might recognize this characterization. For everyone else, welcome:)

“Fire up the colortini’s, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures as they fly though the air.”

I know I promised a review of the Eggleston show at the Whitney and part of that has been written. I just don’t know if I agree with it any more…but the prints are stunning, you should go just to get an idea of what colour should look like.

Maybe if i get inspired an end of year post with some dead certain conclusions about the state of the world we are in. » Read the rest of this entry «

One word-COLD! Second word-SHORT!

Mile splits are 7:34, 7:10, 7:34, 7:26. 

Not much to say, it was over before the snot had a chance to freeze in my nose. One to remember on those hot days in June.  

But my goal was a 30 minute 4 mile, based on last weeks performance the McMillian calculator says I could do a 30:57, so I knew it was possible. But it would mean I would have to run a lot faster than I am used to. In other words, I would have to race…This is not my natural inclination. I am more of a zone out grinder. Plus any time I have gone out to run intervals I have had the worst experience, I just get wacked out and can’t recover. So pacing in a race is new to me.

The first mile I thought I went out way too fast-everyone was cold and it seemed we had the wind behind us, and the timer at mile 1 was not working, so I had no idea. This got me a little worried, but the ticker was not really pumping so I didn’t have any thoughts of Fred Sanford yet. Wheezy!! Then the second mile was downhill along the West Side of Central Park, this was even faster and really had me thinking reel it in. I saw the time of 15-something so I knew I was pretty close to 30 but would need to keep it up. Like the girl says, “just breathe.” So mile 3 was Cat Hill, I finally saw the damn cat sculpture just before the Obilisc, never knew why people called it that. I remember the split to be 22:22, and subtracting the starting offset of around 20 seconds I knew it was looking good. Faded a little in mile 4 or so I thought but got the gift of the downhill at the end and rounding the corner I saw 29′s on the clock and knew I had it.

Next week is a 15K in Central Park, we will see what the weather is. I am running that one with a friend so I don’t know what the target is, enjoyment or punishment. According to the calculator it says I can run a 1:13, or 7:50′s the whole way, I somehow doubt that. A loop and a half of the park, some hills, I think 8′s are optimistic still.

Yes I will talk about photography. on monday, some words about the Eggleston show at the Whitney.

This is iphone from the N train on the way in at 7:30am this morning. What were you doing?

» Read the rest of this entry «

I don’t know who this Joe Kleinerman is, but I really like him. And I’ve got his t-shirt.

MASSIVE PR – (for me) – 10K – 49:09 – 7:55/mile pace…oh yeah

That’s right-sub 8 minutes-my first ever. 

Better than any training run to date on that distance, blew the previous Nike 10K way outta da water, but that was a terrible course (53:26, august 31) and three months ago.

Not sure what I did right here except go out fast and hold the line. Weather was a blessing, little wind, cool but not cold yet, no sun. Roadrunners president Mary Wittenberg introduced some guy from ‘Da Bronx-that’s how he was introduced, and I could swear after ever sentence I heard the Law and Order “doink-doink.” “I’m a man of few woyds…on ya mahwks…!”  Race started at 103rd Street and went anti-clockwise around the park, beginning in the Harlem Hills. (“ya, youse godda run ‘dem Hawlem Hills…”) I was actually looking forward to this since my own runs always begin with the hill up to Park Slope, so this was similar. There were only a few moderate climbs for the rest of the course and it seemed like lots of downhills. I think that is where I picked up a lot of time.

I don’t have splits that are accurate because I was running on a new nike ipod and it was not calibrated. Christmas is coming and if the Garmin-Gods can get their Mac update out I will be changing over in the new year.

Can’t report anything interesting during the race-not a lot of time to look around! The first two miles was spent trying to find space and pass a lot of people. You can see that in the graph. It is really great when you pass people who are clearly aiming for comfortable 9-10-minute mile who lined up in the corral in front of you and are going out in happy-chatty groups-yeah maybe you can run 7:00′s all day long but the 9:00′s are behind me in the next corral…

Didn’t get hit by any snot-rockets or lougies. Which is saying something in this cold. Sounded like a Seniors Residence cafeteria during breakfast! Oy! Around mile four I had to drop a foot-flopper (plop plop plop plop) with some heavy asthmatic breathing and grunting going on next to me-turned up the ipod and tried not to listen while running faster. Guess I can thank him for my PR? Around mile five there was an lady who like to split runners with an open-sesame-arm move. Coming Through! Yeah right. We are all here for ya lady!

Time for a nap. It was fun while it lasted…

Edit: I figured out the splits I think. Based on total time and time between ipod markers and using the differential of avg miles per hour (7.10mph vs 7.47mph–.95%)

mile 1 8:11     8:11/pace

mile 2 15:58   7:47/pace

mile 3 23:50   7:52/pace

mile 4 31:47   7:57/pace

mile 5 39:58   8:11/pace

mile 6 47.33   7:35/pace

mile .21  49:09  7:37/pace

A little bump in the middle, I remember thinking at mile 5, save something for the last little bit. Probably shouldn’t have thought that. 

» Read the rest of this entry «

This was one of those assignments where you are sent in blind except for the headline. I knew the story was about the psychology of the workplace, which for most self employed photographers is something they know absolutely nothing about. Well, except that my ID and SuperEgo don’t throw away their leftovers in the home office lunchroom refrigerator…

Immediately upon arrival and setting up I find out that the individual portrait idea I had was not going to fly: the crew was a team and needed to stay together. No individual portraits. 

I would like to say I came up with this solution all on my own but we all know where it is cribbed from. Sometimes it is helpful to be able to invoke the deity of “Avedon” to support your harebrained schemes. 

I think it splits the difference, individuals in a group. Thanks to TAG creative for letting me in the door.

Full story here. BTW don’t be shocked by the color in the article. I get paid just the same. » Read the rest of this entry «