Mixed Emotions

Yesterday I ran the NYC Half Marathon, around Central Park and down the West Side Highway to South Street Seaport. Oh the mixed emotions I have about this.

FIRST, I'M SUPER HAPPY... with my time and feel almost like I don't deserve it. How did that happen???? Usually in the days before a race, I have a plan and eat well and hydrate, etc. But I knew we'd be spending the weekend sight seeing and eating delicious treats in NYC, so I really didn't have a plan. Then the night before the race, I didn't sleep well, and was literally yawning when the race director said GO and blew the horn.

Well, maybe that should be my new plan, because I nailed it;

1:39:29 -- 2153/15,331 finishers, 135/1893 for my age, and 464/7880 women.
5k split: 24:40
10k: 48:30 (23:50 5k)
15k: 71:29 (22:59 5k -- a PR, during a half marathon??)
20K: 94:35 (23:06 5k)
Overall pace: 7:36

A BIG THING I'VE LEARNED....is to stop and walk through the water stations. Otherwise you spill water all over yourself, maybe get some up your nose, and barely manage to get any into your body. I don't like walking, but I do like getting a drink.

A MAJOR OBSTACLE...is adding distance through weaving in and out of people. You've obviously gotta get around them somehow, but my Garmin measured 13.4 at the finish (and 26.5 after the marathon instead of 26.2). Don't know how much the watch is off? It did tell me at one point that I ran a 5:30 mile through Times Square, though when I watched the time by the race markers, I was still on pace with the 7:30 miles. So maybe my watch is just crazy.

THE MOST SURPRISING THING...was the absolutely terrible course support! People lined Central Park and watched us run by, in silence. They lined the sidewalks of 6th Avenue through Times Square, and watched us run by, in silence. They lined the West Side Highway and watched us run by, in silence. I even ran past a station set up by NYRR that was supposed to have music, but the band just sat there, and watched us run by, in silence. Seriously it was like racing through a funeral. Some runners were chiding the spectators for sucking so much and I resisted the urge the join them. Really??!! The spectators at the Marine Corps Marathon were so amazing that they brought tears to my eyes. How do you watch a race with 15,000 people and not cheer????

I JUDGE races on three things: water stops, port-o-potty availability, and t-shirts that fit. The water stops were plentiful and excellent. The port-o-potties were actually brilliantly organized in each set of corrals. I thought MCM did it right but this was impressive.

However, no t-shirt for me. If I pay a ridiculous entry fee, I expect to receive a shirt that fits. Instead I got stuck with a medium that is probably even too big for Jon. This happened last year at Redhook, both times at the Doyle's 5 miler, and at the Newburyport Homecoming 5k. Really people. How many L & XL runners do you think there are??? Buy some additional smalls.

A BIG QUESTION MARK was the race policy on when to get to the race. It started at 7:30am, but you had to be lined up according to bib number (aka anticipated finish time) by 7am, otherwise you got sent to the back. I stood in my corral with bibs 6000-6999, from 6:55am until the gun went off at 7:30, and watched the 4 volunteers stand at my corral entrance and turn late-comers away for the last 30 minutes. These poor runners-- all the volunteers needed to do was turn a blind eye, have an Eskimo pie, or something-- and just let them in. But they sent them to the back, basically saying "Shame on you."

Now, this rule also forces you to stand still for 30 minutes in 40 degree weather, with no room to stretch or warm up, etc. Most people probably don't "warm up" for a 13 mile race. But looking at my race splits, I probably would have benefited from a little warm up. Whatever stretches I did at 6:55am I'm sure did me no good when we started running at 7:30. Weird.

ONE THING I BOYCOTTED was the option to have texts sent to family who want to track your progress, for an extra 99 cents. Most races who offer tracking do this for free. I already paid $135 to enter the race. If 15,000 people pay an extra 99 cents... well, that's a lot of cents! So I boycotted, and found my mom and Jon just fine at the finish. Boom.

SO... cost, no shirt, and oddly depressing course support would keep me from doing this race again.

But the results have me very excited for Boston! 28 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy running!!