Run For Central Park

Yesterday was the Run for Central Park. It was a four mile race which started on the east side, crossed over at 102nd and went down to the 72nd street traverse on the west side.

Let me just say, it was the most organized race ever! It was the biggest NYRR race I've seen so far. When you sign up for a NYRR race, they always ask you for a PR for a mile. The mile must be within a race that is longer than a mile. For me, my PR came from my last NYRR race, and was 8:07. I didn't know this at the time I signed up, but they used this number to determine corrals. So I was a little intimidated to be in the third corral with all of the 8 minute milers. (But it was also kind of cool to be so far up front). I was also with my friend Jen, from Cincinnati. The night before, we had decided to run this one as a fun run, sticking together, talking the whole way, enjoying the scenery, and running around a 9 minute pace. We also decided to take it easy and leave our drinking/partying/going out for Saturday instead of Friday.

Stupidly, we didn't really follow this rule. We went out for Mexican the night before (why did we think this was a good idea?), and shared a pitcher of Red Sangria with my husband. We were having a great time and decided to go across the street to get something else from the wine store to continue on our sun deck. We were dead set on hard liquor (once again, why did we think this was a good idea?) and finished off several rum and cokes that night. Around mile 3, Jen attributed our feelings of having the worse race ever to what she affectionately dubbed this the "Mexican Pirate Trifecta" (Fish tacos, rum and insane heat/humidity). It was SO HOT.

It also didn't help that the clock on my first mile said 8:40. Since we were about a minute off of the pace clock, that means I took the first one out around a 7:40. This first mile was also on Cat Hill. No wonder I felt completely tired. The humidity absolutely killed me and make me feel like my legs were made of rocks. At mile three I just chalked it up to the worst race ever and just wanted to finish.

However, I cannot let myself give up at the end and for the final 50 feet or so I kicked it in. I have no idea how I did this because I really felt like I was going to die. I finished with a 36:36. That's a 9:09 pace. I have NO IDEA how we did that because I really did feel awful. :)

Oh yeah, I didn't feel THAT bad about my pace because a lot of the runners in the first corral (I'm guessing that they were faster than 7 minute mile pace) were also finishing around us.

THANK YOU!!!

YAY! I did it!

Thank you...

"Team Emily" (which includes my husband, parents, and my other "alcoholic" friends)...you know you have a support team when your friends don hot pink shirts bedazzled and puffy-painted holding signs to cheer you on 7 times during the course!!

Mom, Dad and Bill, you peeled my disgusting socks off afterwards as I implemented the cool "hold your legs up" trick, you made sure my space blanket didn't fly away in the wind and you took me to IHOP

Coach Joe and the Running Spot Team, you are an inspiration and I was able to make it through the whole thing because of you! It is so cool to know that you have a team of coaches chasing you around the course with encouragement, aspirin and anything else you may need.

The Running Spot Group, we all went through this together and it was great to see everyone finish, and even greater to share a beer with you all tonight at our "after-party"

The woman holding the sign in Eden Park that said "Your Hair Looks Great", it made me laugh

The guy in Eden Park with the sign that said "You are all heroes" which almost made me cry right there on the course

The guy dressed as the Burger King on Hyde Park Square YOU made me laugh even harder

Amber, Crystal and Eric, whose blogs inspired me and let me know that I am not the only crazy runner out there who does funny things while I run (I may shadow box, but I guess some of you yodel :)

Bob Roncker, your training program has helped me to love running, I NEVER thought last year when I struggled through the Hyde Park Blast that I would be running a marathon this year

Uh, all of YOU GUYS, by that I mean THE READERS!!! You have inspired me to do my best, picked me up when I was having a bad day, offered me great advice, and let me know that you are all out there struggling with me through all of those long runs. When I started this blog, its main purpose was to keep me on my training schedule (because I would have something else that made me accountable) I never dreamed of the support I would get from the readers. YOU are all TRULY AWESOME. You have made my day many times!

This of course is NOT the end of the marathon entries. These are just my post-race ramblings for now.

Anyway, congrats to all that finished. You are amazing!!!