Tag Archives: race

2011 Healthy Kidney 10K Race Recap

I’m speaking on a panel today, so it would have been awesome if all these new visitors to my blog could have seen a fabulous race recap.

Well, this isn’t one of them. (But there’s some here. And some of my favorite posts here. And a recap of this race from last year.)

Last year, I did the NYRR 9+1 program to get into the NYC Marathon for this year’s marathon. I’m not sure if I’ll want to run the NYC Marathon again next year (or even another marathon), but I’m still doing the 9+1 this year so that I have the option. I’ve basically been signing up for races if I happen to be free, and so that’s why I signed up for today’s Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park.

Signing up for a race because you’re free, not because you want to run it, is a terrible reason to run a race, by the way.

I laid in bed and contemplated bailing until I saw Rebecca tweet at me and ask me which corral I was in.

FINE. I’ll run this.

I took Bailey out for a quick walk, got dressed and headed up to the park.

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I was late for bib pick-up but they were still open. (I’m pretty sure they stay open until the race starts, FYI.)

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It was super-crowded, but I still somehow managed to find Meghan, which was wonderful, because I ran the first half of the race with her and we chatted. It didn’t feel easy, but we were doing about a 9:20ish pace, which was fine with me. At some point after mile 3, I just wasn’t feeling it and really need to stop to walk. I wish I hadn’t. I had a really hard time starting again after that and ended up taking quite a few walking breaks from there until the end and stopping just past mile 5 to use the bathroom.

After getting out of work a little late last night, I met friends for a few drinks and didn’t have a real dinner–I just picked at some appetizers with them. I don’t know if I was underfuled or what, but this race was so incredibly hard, both mentally and physically. A few times between miles 3 and 5, I contemplated just walking off the course, but I think I’m too stubborn for that.

While a big part of me still sort of wishes I’d stayed in bed, I guess what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? I also think that even if I’m not feeling a race, I need to trick myself into getting excited for it.

So…

I’M SO EXCITED FOR THE WALL STREET RUN TUESDAY! (No, I really am, though. I liked that course.)

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NYRR 4-Mile + NYC Running Show

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What would you do if you woke up to this gloomy scene? I wanted to roll back over and go back to sleep, but I was registered for the NYRR 4-Mile. I checked Twitter to see if any of my friends were bailing. Ashley and Ali weren’t, so I decided to (wo)man up and do the damn thing. I knew I’d be really mad at myself reading their race recaps, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, anyway.

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That I have to walk Bailey before I can leave for a race is the best thing ever and the worst thing ever. When there’s good weather, it’s great. I’m excited to get out there. When there’s bad weather, it makes it that much harder to go back out once I bring him back to my apartment. I got a preview of the rain this morning, brought him upstairs and turned right back around to leave before I could change my mind.

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I huddled in the bandstand with a few hundred other runners trying to keep dry. Finally, Ashley showed up and we chatted for a few minutes and walked over to the corrals, where we ran into Melissa, who looked like she REALLY didn’t want to be there. We all started together but separated within about 30 seconds of the start. I knew from the start that I wanted to PR at this race, and I figured it was probably within reach.

The last four-mile race I did was the Race to Deliver in November, which I ran in 35:15, about a month after the marathon, when I still felt like my legs were a little heavy. I did a lot of speedwork for the half-marathons I ran last month, so I knew I had it in me. The first few minutes, I ran a bit gingerly. I was really afraid of slipping on the rainy road, breaking something and never being able to run again. The course was the same as the Race to Deliver–it ran a small loop counterclockwise. There were a few uphill climbs, but there were also a TON of downhills.

Running three half-marathons last month helped a lot mentally. I just kept thinking “I ran three times this distance THREE TIMES last month. I totally got this.” I only checked my watch at the mile markers, and all of my miles were UNDER 8:45. (8:25, 8:08, 8:39, 7:57, and the last .05 at a 6:55 pace!) Less than two years ago, when I started running, I was running nearly 12-minute miles. It just goes to show what hard work and stubbornness can do. I crossed the finish line at 33:28!!!

Afterwards, I went to the JackRabbit Running Show with Ashley and a VIP.

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It was sort of a glorified expo–even in the same building, the Metropolitan Pavilion, where most of the expos are held.

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But I bought some goggles for my upcoming tri.

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Ashley got some new sneaks (and poured water all over this poor man when her hood flipped over when she was trying on these shoes)

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There were jazz hands. Um, my hands were too cold to properly jazz-hand.

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And there was ladies’ Body Glide? We asked the Body Glide guy–he said it’s just the same as the men’s. Yup. Marketing trick.

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Yeah, I was pretty wet.

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When I got home, I ordered an egg and cheese on an everything bagel. As you know, I usually get bagels after I run. They’re amazing, but eating nothing but carbs means that I’m usually hungry again within an hour. I decided to go for adding some protein, and it was delicious!

I’ll be walking around with a smile all day today after my badass PR in the rain, thankyouverymuch.