The 2026 NYRR Staten Island Half was my A race for the fall, and the last big test before the marathon block for CIM. It was a wet one: light rain, 97% humidity and a headwind on the way back, on a course with rolling hills and an uphill finish.
I finished in 1:28:21 at an average pace of 6:45 per mile. My PR is 1:28:16 from the Brooklyn Half in May, so I needed to be 6 seconds faster to set a new one. Five seconds would only have tied it.
I went in with three goals from my race plan. The A goal was sub 1:27, around 1:26:45 at 6:37 per mile. The B goal was anything under 1:28:16 for a new PR. The C goal was sub 1:30. I landed just outside the B goal, and I am still proud of this one.
The build
This block was the most consistent training I have done. I ran 72 to 75 miles a week, with 255.4 miles in September.
A few sessions told me the fitness was there. On September 20 I ran a 2-2-1 threshold workout at 6:35, 6:34 and 6:34. On September 30 I ran 3 x 1 mile at 6:23, 6:22 and 6:21. On October 3 I ran 2 x 3 miles at half marathon pace in 6:39 and 6:38.
Coach Sandi suggested I race it rather than hold back with CIM in mind. That gave me the confidence to go for it.
Conditions and shoes
NYRR reported 60°F, 97% humidity, 11 mph wind and light rain. A few drops fell as we lined up in Wave 1, Corral A, and it turned into steady light rain as the race went on.
The real surprise was the wind. I did not feel any of it in the corral or during my warmup, but after the turnaround that 11 mph wind was a headwind for much of the way back.
The course itself is honest work: rolling hills, the climb around Fort Wadsworth between miles 8 and 10, and an uphill finish.
With rain in the forecast, I chose the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 over the Adidas Adios Pro 4 the day before. I had run in the Pumas in the rain and knew how they felt on wet roads. The Adidas had not been tested in those conditions, and race day is not the time to find out.
The race, block by block
My plan broke the course into four blocks. I lapped my watch manually at the mile 3, 8 and 10 markers and at the finish, and I never looked at the overall clock.
Start to mile 3. The plan was 6:40 to 6:42, reaching mile 3 in 20:02. I hit the marker in 20:08, a 6:40 average. It took a little time to settle in, but this was right on plan.
Miles 3 to 8. The plan was 6:35, reaching mile 8 in 52:58. On the downhill and flats I was running around 6:30 and feeling smooth. After the turnaround, around mile 5.8, a strong headwind hit. My pace slowed while my heart rate climbed into the mid 180s. I knew that forcing 6:35 into that wind would cost me later in the hills, so I ran by effort instead. That lap was 33:36 at 6:39 per mile, putting me at 53:44 at mile 8. I gave up about 45 seconds against plan here.
Miles 8 to 10, the Fort Wadsworth climb. The plan was 6:45 to 6:55 by effort, without forcing the pace. I shortened my stride, kept my arms quick and gave up time on the uphills. Then I got back to around 6:25 quickly once the road leveled off. That lap was 13:59 at 6:54 per mile, inside the plan.
Mile 10 to the finish. The plan was 6:28 to 6:33. I pushed, but slowed in a few headwind segments along the waterfront. After the climb I could feel I was close to cramping, and the uphill finish was still ahead. I held effort instead of forcing pace, because a cramp would have cost far more than a few seconds. That lap was 20:38 at 6:33 per mile, and I finished strong.
Fueling plan
Everything was plant-based. The planned dinner the night before was rice, tofu and dal. Breakfast at 5 AM was a bagel with peanut butter, a banana and crackers.
I took a PF 30 Caffeine gel at 7:45 AM before the start, then PF 30 gels at miles 3, 5.5, 8 (caffeine) and 10.5. With the rain and humidity making the effort costlier, I also took my spare as a fifth gel during the race to give it everything.
The plan called for five Endurolytes salt tablets. I took about two extra because the rain and 97% humidity had me sweating heavily and I wanted to stay ahead of cramping. I had no cramps, though it was close after the hills.
The numbers
Official time 1:28:21 (gun 1:28:41), 6:45 per mile, bib 399, running for the New Jersey Maniacs. My watch measured 13.22 miles with an average heart rate of 182 and a max of 196.
Stryd tells the effort story best. I averaged 267 watts, compared with 265 watts at Brooklyn. The effort was a little higher than on my PR day, and the wind and hills took the time.
What I learned
Because I never watched the overall clock, I crossed the line sure I had set a PR somewhere in the 1:27s. I knew I was not under 1:27, but seeing 1:28:21 was a slight disappointment at first.
Looking back at the conditions, the effort and the execution, I am not disappointed at all. Running block by block kept me focused on what I could control. Choosing effort over pace in the wind and on the climb was the right call. The sub 1:27 fitness was there.
What's next
Next up is the NYC Marathon on November 1 as a training run. Then comes my goal race, CIM on December 6, chasing sub-3.
Huge thanks to Coach Sandi Nypaver and Higher Running for this block. On to CIM.