Race Preview: Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendance 6-Day Race

"Why am I so nervous? Please explain to me why I can't sleep." - "Nervous" by the Moody Blues (John Lodge)

The Unisphere

Getting ready for the big race, which starts tomorrow, April 21, I don't have time to write all I'd like to about my preparations, physical and mental, for this race. I've told people this race scares me a little, that this race makes me nervous. It is by far the longest race I'll have run, my previous longest being 48 hours. What makes me nervous is that I've never before gone into a race having no idea what might happen. I've certainly sometimes done much better than expected, or much worse than expected, but here I really don't know what to expect. But I am running this race to achieve a high performance, not just for the experience. So I am expecting to put myself through a level of pain, physical and mental, that I've never experienced before. I'll have to answer all kinds of questions for myself about sleep deprivation, nutrition, possible risk of injury, and I won't always be in a good frame of mind to answer wisely. And I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to perform, in a very unknown situation. But this is exactly the kind of adventure that I seek, that I need to shake things up as I near my 45th birthday. I even have reporters interested in my food and drink intake.

The Dugout

 So if you're in New York, come on by and say hi!

Handler's Kitchen

 I've got some good friends helping to crew for me at various times, but friendly faces and a helping hand or two are always welcome.

Runners' Kitchen

 Advance thanks to Trishul Cherns, for his advice, and for the use of his tent. Dave Luljak has also given his wise advice. Mike Arnstein, Shaun Leonardo, Oz Pearlman, and the great Otto Lam have all agreed to help crew for me, and others offering to come by as well. I'm looking forward to running with Martin Fryer from Australia, who's already out there running the 10-day, and with former 24-hour national champions Alex Swenson, and John Geesler, about whom enough can't be said. Stay tuned, here we go.

My (Trishul's) Tent

 "It seems to me I've been a long time on this road and I wonder why.
Has there been a sign that points another way and I've passed it by?
I don't know what it is that drives me on.
Gotta keep a-movin,
Gotta keep a-movin on, and on, and on..."

Race Report: BUS 6-Hour Race

April 6 saw the 2013 edition of the BUS 6-Hour Race, held in conjunction with the New York Ultrarunning Grand Prix awards brunch. This year we moved back to Hendrickson Park in Valley Stream, Long Island, and the beautiful 1.4+ mile course around the lake.

Start of the 6-hour

 The weather was a little cool, but a beautiful sunny day. With the 6-day race just two weeks ahead of me, I didn't want to push this race. I just wanted to run comfortably, run well, and maintain good technique and enjoy the day. After the start, Tommy Pyon quickly took the lead en route to a 49+ mile win. I was running a couple laps with Brian Teason before he took off, then I ran another few laps with Andy Costa before he took off, but I enjoyed chatting with both of them and hearing about their plans for upcoming races.

Me and Andy Costa

 Having missed the 6-Hour Birthday Run in October and Caumsett 50K in March, this was the first time in a while I'd had the opportunity to see some of the regulars on the New York/Long Island ultra scene. It was almost like a family reunion with people like Admas Belilgne, Andrei Aroneanu, Frank DeLeo, Grant McKeown, Al Prawda, Ruth Liebowitz, Lydia Redding, Helma Clavin, Charles Bifulco, Nick Palazzo, and on and on and on.

Mike and Marybeth Costello

 I am thankful to Mike and Marybeth Costello for giving me a ride, and for leaving me with the coolers that I bought for the 2009 Badwater race and left in Mike's mother's house in Henderson, NV, never expecting them to make their way back to me in NY!

Shannon McGinn pre-race

 In the end, I finished with 43.7 miles, as much as I would have wanted to run, which put me in 4th place behind Tommy, Brian and Andy. The women's winner was Shannon McGinn, who has really been doing some excellent running lately! But it was a close race with Amanda Toro and Jodi Kartes-Heino not far behind. For the 2012 New York Ultrarunning Grand Prix, the 2012 winners were first-time winner Aaron Heath and recurring winner Jodi Kartes-Heino. Congratulations to them! Overall, a great way to spend a Saturday!

Note: Thanks to Donna Sajulga-Tabios for pics #1, 2, and 5!

The lake behind me