The ironic part about this race was that I was supposed to be running the Staten Island Half. However it was just such a pain to get to, Kate and her family were in town, and well, it was just logistically so much easier to go to this one. It practically ran by our house (well not that close, but a little over a mile away) and there wouldn't be hours of traveling time involved. The biggest problem was that it would require me to pay a lot of $$ and have to run another race in the city for my 9+1. Once I got Mike to sign off on the other race, I was sold.
It was a beautiful fall morning and the run was an out and back on the Bronx River Parkway. I had no plans or intentions going into it with regards to time or anything, which I have found is the secret to a good race. At the start I was sitting with someone from my running group and he and everyone around me kept asking what I was going for. I was taken by surprise because I really hadn't thought about it.
Of course my competitiveness got the best of me by the end of the race. It was cold out that morning and was a very small race, so the starting line was nothing serious. I went out with my friend from the running group as ultimately we run a similar pace. It was very jovial and light, if not somewhat lackluster. I had my cheering section to look forward to as well. Ultimately I was just having a good day and stepped it up, and after the switchback realized how ahead in the pack and in line with the women leaders I was, and then I wasn't giving up. I punished one girl I was chasing at about mile 10 and ultimately had a PR at 1:38:58 and came in 4th overall for women and 1st in my age group. Which is not to say I wasn't hurting a good deal by the end...
One more to go. Although considering what Mike has sacrificed for my running, I just might have to give it up. But we will see.
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