So, I'm getting behind again. C'est la vie! I'll start with my race last weekend. I ran the adidas Run for the Park 4M race in Central Park on Sunday. This was the first race that my friend, Chelly, had run in a while and I was looking forward to hanging with her at the park. We met up at the usual spot - 72nd Street and Central Park West. The Pope was in town and he was staying at 72nd Street on the other side of the park, so that entrance was closed. It also made for some re-routing of traffic and mass transit, but I didn't have too hard a time getting into the city. Chelly had been on the fence about running the race--she didn't think she was ready--but she decided to give it a go. I told her that I'd come back and run with her after I finished to help her keep up her pace and stick it out until the finish line. The NYRR was instituting a corral system starting with this race. So, Chelly and I had to split up for the start. We usually try to start at a point about halfway between our two paces, but this time we weren't going to be allowed. The corral system didn't really help the start. It still took about 3:30 for me to cross the start line. The odd part was, in the past, the pack would open up at that point as those who had placed themselves too far forward began to fall back and those who got trapped too far back began weaving through to get better placed. This time, the pack I was in stayed pretty much together. It forced me to run at a good pace as I had been placed with a 8:49 pace based on my fastest race, which was about a year ago. I haven't really been running that fast lately. This worked out wonderfully for me. I ran all 4 miles at a pace that really made me feel like I was working for it. I decided at about the 2 mile mark to stick on the tail of a woman that had been in my area for a while. I dogged her through the rest of the course. She had more left at the end, though, and finished about 25 feet in front of me. But I managed a 33:57 for the race, which is a 8:29 pace. That was my fastest race in Central Park ever and only 25 seconds behind my PR. I was ecstatic. After grabbing some water, getting my chip clipped and catching my breath, I turned back on the course and started walking/jogging back looking for Chelly. Beside running at a slower pace, she probably had started about 3 minutes after I did, so I didn't find her until I had got back almost to the 3 mile mark. I waved at her and jumped into the course. She had been trying out a walk/run method to keep herself going and said she actually didn't feel too bad. I told her that we weren't too far from the finish line and warned her that there was a photographer a short way up the course. I joked about actually getting some photos this time. It turns out that the only pictures they got of me were when I was running with Chelly. I asked if she had anything left as we turned for the finish line and then pushed it a little so that Chel would finish strong. We walked through the park heading to 5th Avenue to catch a cab downtown and get brunch. On the way, we walked by the carousel, which I mentioned that I hadn't been on since I was about 8. So, of course, we had to take a ride. It's a little more expensive than I remembered and I found out that sitting a horse post-race is a bit hard, but it was fun. I didn't remember that it was so fast. The big event this weekend is our club race. The Alley Pond 5 Mile Challenge is a tough but fun course through Alley Pond Park in Northeast Queens. So anyone who sees this, come on out. It should be a blast. I'll be running the race this year. My best 5 mile time is on this course, for some odd reason, since I think it is the toughest 5 mile race that I've run.
Yesterday was the Healthy Kidney 10k race in Central Park. I went out with every intention of racing this, but not really expecting a great time. With the half marathon training I've been concentrating a little more on endurance and haven't been doing the speedwork that I really should. It was an overcast morning with the threat of rain in the air. I opted for my capri tights and a t-shirt figuring that the 10k distance wouldn't be long enough to go with shorts. The trip into the city proved my decision correct - I was cold. I got into the park a bit later than I usually do for a race so I grabbed my bib and t-shirt (they give out technical shirts, a reason why this race is always popular), dropped my bag in baggage check and headed for the starting line. The starting line was a pretty good distance from the registration area and the wheelchair race started as I was still trying to get to my place in the chute. The crowd was enormous. I bumped into Ira from my running club. He was lined up with the 7:00 minute pace group, so we exchanged greetings and I headed back further along the chute. I was planning on a 9:00 pace with the intention of pushing it a little if I felt good. There was a lot of speechifying at the start - this race is a men's national level race so it attracts a large number of elite men runners. That combined with the charity group - the main sponsor is the United Arab Republic in thanks to the city for the care their king received when suffering from kidney disease - made for a lot of activity at the front of the starting area. Once the horn sounded, and the race started, we stood around for about 4 minutes. Not too bad for an NYRR race. The course was an entire loop around the park plus about 200 yards, so the start funneled through the finish line. Made for a tight beginning and messed with my ability to settle into a good pace. I went too fast when I saw daylight because I was frustrated with having to practically walk at other points. I managed a 9:17 for the first mile but probably ran harder than that time reflects. The next two miles went pretty well - 8:55 and 8:44. Mile 4 is a hard one with the Harlem hills but I still managed a decent 9:01. I was still feeling pretty good and began to pick up the pace. Mile 5 was back down to 8:41. At that point I decided to go for broke and dig in. I reeled off mile 6 in a blazing (for me) 8:14 for a final time of 55:11. In retrospect, I'm a little disappointed with the effort. It's a new PR, but I've only run the 10k distance once before, a year ago in 55:29. This race felt harder, though, and I think I'm in better shape than I was last year. I wasn't planning on smashing my PR, but I felt I would have an easier time this year. But I felt spent after the race and today my legs are sore. One more long run to go before the next half. I have no goals for the Steamboat course except to finish. I'm expecting a long slog and am just going to try and enjoy the race.
Name: DebbieJRT Home: Bellerose, New York, United States About Me: crotchety cross stitcher, trying to channel my inner athlete See my complete profile
