5 AM Pop out of bed (honestly, I’d been up for about 30 minutes nervous that I would miss the alarm)
5:30 AM Walk to the PATH huddled under my umbrella praying that I don’t get struck by lightening
6 AM Join the crowd of runners, homeless, and left over Saturday night club goers on the train to the City
6:20 AM Score a free cab ride with two other runners to Central Park
6:45 AM Homesickness and serious nerves cause a mini-emotional moment that ends quickly when I realize we’re on the news
7:15 AM Cross start line. Here we go!
7:45 AM 5K complete -- pacing well
8:15 AM 10K complete. Made full lap around Central Park at this point. Made it through the hilliest part of the course and my legs are feeling it
8:30 AM Run out of the Park onto 7th Ave. The feeling of running through Times Square is surreal. Wish Dad was here –- he would love this! All of the tourists have come out of their hotels to cheer on the runners. Catch my second wind
9 AM Course takes us toward the Westside Hwy around mile 9. The weather is still overcast, breezy, and cool
9:15 AM Hit second wall. Look to my left and see my co-worker Michelle and her sister. Perfect moment for a running buddy. Only a 5K left
9:30 AM Try not to look miserable as I pass the camera crews. Cheese!
9:45 AM Cross finish line and vow not to run again for a long while
The weirdest part of the whole experience is that it’s over. I’ve been thinking about, planning and training for today for several months... the excitement of being drawn in the lottery, one limp-tastic training injury, and a lot of lame Friday nights in prep for my Saturday morning long runs. It’s that day after Christmas feeling of let down wrapped in relief. I think I just need to come up with my next race goal. In the meantime, I’m going to happily enjoy a week sans running shoes.
Michelle and I crossing the finish line (she's in the gray tank and white hat)...
1 comment:
Wish I had been there. You always forget the tough parts of the run. Thanks for the shout out!
Dad
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