Okay, I’m now a true believer in the value of training. I shaved 5:31 off my late April half marathon time, and this was a harder course. I won’t know the official chip time until tomorrow, but my watch has my finishing time as 1:54:07. The best part? I finally ran a race with a negative split. “Don’t go out too fast” has at last sunk in. And I don’t feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. This is progress. The real test will see if I walk down the stairs like a robot tomorrow.
It was a fun marathon to run, primarily because the course is one I drive often (the Bronx River Parkway), with the turnaround point at the bottom of our street. (We could have charged people to use our lovely bathroom!) So it was fun to see it from a new perspective. Also, I enjoyed running past the big board that gives your traveling speed. When I approached it, it said “Your Speed: 06”. That gave me a laugh.
The weather was near-perfect (in the 50s, with very little wind), and there were plenty of water tables (which I heard was a problem last year). Very few spectators, and one band. One very bad band. But their enthusiasm made up for a lack of talent.
The ratio of half marathon participants to full marathon participants was around 4 to 1. I have a theory that so few people run the full marathon because it’s only a month before the New York City marathon, during a time when I presume runners in that race are starting the tapering phase of their training. Since the marathan course was doing the half marathon loop twice — and it started half an hour before the half mary — I passed lots of marathoners (or saw them coming the other way on their second loop as I neared the end of the course) and wondered how odd that must feel. Or maybe this is how lots of combined races work.
I’m hoping to place in the top 10 percent of my age/gender group. And I plan to do the full marathon portion of this event next year, so I guess I’ll find out for myself how it will feel to be passed by a bunch of half marathon runners so early in the race.
I’m feeling quite pleased with myself, and celebrating with wine, smoked salmon and a lovely pot roast this evening. Recovery food, you know.
Filed under: racing |
Races Like a Girl 
The speed board reading was about right, then, no? Or is my math off?
We always try to trigger ours when we ride by on bikes. No go.
Must be a great feeling! I’m impressed as all get out! Congrats on the bested time.