Training pays off for Valley Stream runners

Fourteen members of the Valley Stream Running Club took part in the Long Island Marathon last Sunday, hitting the course that wound through roads in the center of Nassau County.

Two of those runners completed the 26.2-mile full marathon, while the other dozen did the half marathon. Tony Cannonito, president of the running club, took part in the full race for the first time since 2000. “I like it because it’s a hometown event,” he said.

Cannonito completed the race in 3 hours and 44 minutes, which met his goal. He finished in the top third of runners in his division, men ages 50 to 54. The 51-year-old Valley Stream resident said he had been training for the race since January.

His regimen consisted of regular running at Hendrickson Park and Valley Stream State Park. He would also go to the Norman Levy Preserve in Merrick to practice running up and down hills, and to trail through the Massapequa Preserve and Bethpage State Park to train for long-distance running.

Cannonito said despite the perception that Long Island is flat, there is actually is a steady incline on the race course heading north on the Wantagh Parkway. He said the parkway is toughest part of the race because, with the exception of a few spots, there aren’t many spectators. Cannonito explained that runners actually get a boost from crowd encouragement.

Ian Douglas, 53, of Valley Stream, completed the half-marathon. He said he has done the race for about five years. Because he has to prepare for the marathon in the spring, it keeps him active through the winter months.

“It’s just a great race and the timing is perfect,” Douglas said. “Normally the weather is just about right.”

With sunny skies and temperatures in the upper-50s and low-60s during the race, Douglas said he couldn’t have asked for better conditions.

To prepare for the marathon, he said would run four to six miles each morning, and would do longer runs each weekend. Douglas finished the race in 1 hour, 43 minutes. “It was a minute outside of my goal,” he said. “I’m fairly satisfied. My ultimate goal is to break 1:40.”

Michael Singh, 46, has been a member of the Running Club for the past eight years and said this was his third time running the half marathon. He completed the race in 1:39:38, about two minutes off his goal. “I still came in much better than I did last year,” he said. “I’ve always beat my time from the first time I’ve done it.”

Singh said he started training in mid-January and had a similar regimen to Douglas with 5-to-7-mile runs during the week and longer runs on the weekends to build endurance.

He added that he likes the atmosphere of the Long Island Marathon and interacting with people from other area running groups. Singh is the vice president of the Valley Stream group.

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, security was stepped up at the Long Island race. The increased police presence was noticed by the runners. “I felt good after seeing all the security,” Singh said.

Cannonito said that there was no anxiety among the Running Club’s members because of the tragedy in Boston. In fact, he said, this year was the largest group from the Valley Stream club to take part in the local race. “It’s indication of what runners are like,” he said. “A thing like Boston is not going to stop people from running in the Long Island marathon or any marathon going forward.”

For several members of the Running Club, including Cannonito and Singh, they now have their sights set on a 10-mile run in Long Beach Memorial Day weekend.