Central Park Conservancy Run for Central Park!

WOW. Who knew that I would be this bad [read: far behind] in keeping up with this thing! I’m over 6 months behind!

Rest assured, I have been running, and have stuck to my goal of qualifying for/running a marathon. I’m going to try my best to not disclose too many spoilers along the way while I catch up on documenting my running journey!

My seventh marathon qualifying race [and ninth race overall] was the Central Park Conservancy Run for Central Park on July 14, 2012. Like many of the races that I have run thus far, this race took place in Central Park’s 4-mile inner loop. It had been quite some time since I had been around the all-too-familiar loop; it felt very nice to be back!

Course Map!

At this point in my running journey, I decided that it was [finally] time for me to step up my game. Up until this point, I had been running in your normal run-of-the-mill shorts. When I first started running [last January], it was wayyyy too cold for me to run in anything but the longest of pants. As the weather got warmer, I started running in basketball shorts [you know, those really long ones that go way past your knee]. Then, after some time, I switched it up a bit and graduated to running in soccer shorts [which, generally, hit just below your knee]. The more serious I got about running, the more all of this knee-meets-fabric action was no longer cute. The day before the race, I stepped foot into a running store for the first time: Jackrabbit in Union Square. I was psyched. And petrified. I walked in, and really had no idea what I was doing. The salesperson must have seen the look of horror on my face, because he came up to me after I walked in and asked what I needed help with seconds after I walked through the door.

He gave me three different pairs in my size to try on to see which one I liked the best. I chose this one:

Who wears short shorts?

My experience at Jackrabbit was amazing. I’ve been there at least a dozen times since then to pick up other running-related gear, and I’ve been treated like a King each and every time.

I didn’t have a chance to pick up my race materials before the morning of the race. I left my apartment a little earlier than usual to ensure that I arrived at the park with more than enough time to pick up my bib before they closed down the registration tent. I pick up my bib and, to my surprise, there was a message on it:

Go Ethan!

WHAT?! Who could my secret fan be? I was smiling from ear to ear as I was trying to muster who could have done such a sweet thing. I couldn’t remember the last time something so surprisingly sweet had happened to me. I was feeling like the luckiest boy.

Before gun time, Megan and I had planned to meet up before the gun went off [remember her? She's the member of Front Runners that I met with before the Take Your Base run to learn more about Front Runners]. We chatted briefly and then made our way over to the corrals. She’s super fast, so her corral was a good five or so ahead of mine. She gave me a good luck kiss [did I mention that we went on out on a date after we met up to discuss Front Runners?] and we parted ways. When I arrived to my corral, I deduced that she was my secret fan. SWOON.

The race itself was good. I really appreciated the way that my legs felt whilst running in my new shorts. I also bought a new running shirt [gasp: a singlet!] during my trip to JackRabbit. I was feeling a little self conscious about wearing it…my arms/shoulders/back were very exposed…but I also felt really good about it. Plus, I chose an orange singlet, which matched perfectly with my new shorts, so I was feeling pretty fly.

The temperature during the race wasn’t very high, but it was VERY humid! A few hundred yards after the finish, there was a hydrant tapped, which couldn’t have been a more beautiful sight to see. I dunked my head in it to cool off which, subsequently, ended up getting me completely soaked. It was worth it. Even if the water strategically placed itself on my shorts to appear as if I peed. Naturally. It’s okay…still worth it.

Can you see me?

Orange!

I didn’t hang around in Central Park for very long after the race, as that afternoon I was hosting a picnic for my birthday that occurred a few days before. I reunited with Megan, and we trained it back to Brooklyn together. Oh, and we’ve been dating ever since.

Stats!

Until next time!

Queens 10K!

My sixth marathon qualifying race [and eighth race overall] was the Queens 10K on July 1, 2012. The Queens 10K is part of New York Road Runners’ 5-Borough Series. The series consists of a race in each of the 5 Boroughs: The Manhattan Half in January, The Brooklyn Half in May, The Queens 10K in July, The Bronx 10-Miler in September, and the Staten Island Half in October. There’s a big incentive to run as many of them as you can — you can guarantee yourself entry into the NYC Half [which is super hard to get into] by running 4 of the 5 races! The NYC Half is not to be confused with the Manhattan Half. Both races are run in the Borough of Manhattan, but the Manhattan Half is run entirely in Central Park, while the NYC Half is run in the streets! In years past, all of the races in the 5-Borough Series were half marathons, but the NYRR switched it up a bit this year to include two races that were less than the 13.1 mile distance. As a new runner, I really appreciate the effort of the NYRR to be inclusive of runners of all abilities in providing in-between distances for the mid-level runner [which I think is how I would identify myself these days]. Spoiler alert: I’ve run 3 of the 5, but more about all of that at some point in the near future! I plan on going through the motions and participating in the 5-Borough series to qualify next year, so I will hopefully be running the NYC Half in 2014! But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!

The Queens 10K was the longest race that I had run to date, clocking in at just over 6 miles. I knew that I could do it, but I was still feeling a little jittery come race day. I had just run the Take Your Base 5-Miler the day before, and the heatwave was still going strong. Thankfully, this course contained at least a little bit of shade [whereas the Take Your Base race had zero shade], and it was a few degrees cooler, so things were already looking up!

Course Map!

The race started in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which was created in the 1930′s to host the 1939/1940 World’s Fair. The Park was also the home of the 1964/1965 World’s Fair, which my grandfather went to [which he told me after the race, after seeing photos that I had posted on Facebook]! I’ve been wanting to go to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for over three years now, because seeing the Unisphere has been on my NYC to-do list ever since I moved to the City. Before the Queens 10K, I just never made it out there. Running this race enabled me to [finally!] cross that bad boy off my list!

New York World’s Fair.

I arrived to the Park about an hour before the race started. The commute to the race was more exciting than usual, because almost the entire car [and all of the other cars, for that matter] were packed-to-the-brim with runners. Apparently, very few people ride the 7 train to the last stop in Queens at 7:00AM on Sunday morning! Plus, the 7 train only runs every 25-ish minutes during the wee-hours of the morning on the weekends, which made for a busy train en route to the Park.

Look at all of those 7 trains! You can also see Citi Field in the distance.

Walking to the Park from the train.

Shortly after I made my way from the subway station to the Park, I found a bench and applied a liberal amount of sunscreen. I had gotten a little toasty the day before at the Take Your Base 5-Miler, and didn’t want to make matters worse. While there, a married couple from my weekly Weight Watchers meeting spotted me and wished me luck. I knew that they were running the race, and felt very lucky that I got to chat with them a little before gun time! I chilled out a bit on the bench, centering my thoughts around all-things positive, before making my over to the baggage area to drop off my bag. While there, I ran into my friend Sheryl!

All smiles pre-race!

I still had quite some time before gun time, so I made my way over to a patch of grass to relax/stretch. On my way there, I saw a rack full of shiny finisher medals! Up until that point, I was pretty excited about running the race, but the presence of medals changed everything!! Not only was I going to run this race, and spend some quality one-on-one time with the Unisphere, but I was also going to be able to hang a gorgeous finishers medal around my neck to commemorate my journey! Ahhh!!!

Potty lines.

 

View from my corral while waiting at the start.

Look, it’s the 6 Mile marker! Served as nice motivation while waiting for the gun.

Let’s do this.

Queens is about to get owned!

The first half of the race was smooth sailing. It was a bit hot, but it was totally manageable, unlike the day before when I had to stop several times throughout the run to alleviate the feeling of my chest caving in. To my relief, I wasn’t in any pain from the day before. At about the 5K mark, I ate a Gu Energy Gel to keep my carbohydrates a flowin’ [and to make my taste buds hate me --- they are SO gross], since the energy that was provided from the breakfast that I had a few hours before was long depleted. The second half of the race was smooth sailing, too. I was having a lot of fun, and was so proud of myself throughout the duration of the course for running back-to-back races.

5K Mark! Halfway there!

There were several sprinklers set up throughout the course, which provided refreshing relief from the beating sun. I learned running through the first sprinkler on the course, though, that running through sprinklers whilst running is tricky work! You want to go far enough into the stream to get sprayed, but not too far in to get soaked. Getting your shoes wet is of special concern, since running in wet socks/shoes is just about the most uncomfortable feeling in the entire world, and also promotes blister formation. After getting wet in all the wrong places the first time around, by the second sprinkler, I was a pro!

Bein’ a Pro.

I took quite a few photos throughout the course of the race:

Citi Field!

Runnin’!

After I passed the 5-mile mark, all I could think of was the fact that each step that I took was one step further than I’ve ever gone! Up until that point, 5 miles was the most that I had ever run, recreationally around my ‘hood OR during a race. It sounds really corny, but it was just the motivation that I needed to get myself to the finish. Well, that, and the medals!

At about the 5.5 mile mark, I turned a corner, and the Unisphere smacked me in the face! I was ECSTATIC by this point, because I knew that I was almost at the finish…SO close to that medal!

Smack!

Unisphere Backdrop.

About a half of a mile before the finish, I saw my friend and Weight Watchers leader Melanie cheering along the sidelines. She is a hardcore kickass runner, and had long finished the race. I yelled her name to say hi, and she offered some words of encouragement to help me speed to the finish!

After I crossed the finish, a volunteer draped a medal around my neck. I’m not so sure that I’ve ever smiled that wide! I made my way over to the refreshment table, and drank a few cups of water and Gatorade. I ate a plum, which was bright purple inside [my favorite!]. They also had a big bucket of cold ice water with sponges soaking in it, so I grabbed one and rubbed it on my face and neck. It was almost 90 degrees outside at this point — words cannot even begin to explain how good this felt! I walked around a bit in an effort to soak up as much of the experience as possible. I felt great.

Can you see me?

All smiles!

I made my way over to the Unisphere, to get a closer look, and to take some photos! When I got there, there were A LOT of runners inside of the structure, playing in the fountains. From what I understand, this is not really allowed, but I would imagine telling hundreds and hundreds of sweaty runners that they can’t cool off in the fountain would be a little much for the Park security to manage. Naturally, I took off my shoes, socks, and T-shirt, tucked my medal away in my bag, and hopped into the fountain! I felt like a 5-year old! It was so much fun.

Unisphere Close-up.

After I started to get prune-y, I hopped out of the fountain, and took some photos for people posing in front of the Unisphere with their medals. The best part about this is that they then offer to take one for you! I took someone up on their offer.

So much pride.

Just as I was packing up to leave the Unisphere for the train, I ran into Sheryl again! I saw her in the distance on her bike and gave her a wave. We took the cutest post-race photo:

Cuties!

By this point, the majority of the runners were making their way out of the park. This meant that the area surrounding the Unisphere was not as hectic [especially because the Park's security came around about 20 minutes beforehand and kicked everyone out of the fountain]. Sheryl took this AWESOME photo of me:

Feels like being on top of the world!

Sheryl and I said our goodbyes, and it was time for me to [finally!] make my way out of the Park. My pace for this race certainly wasn’t the fastest, but I made it to the finish. The one and only goal that I set out for myself for the race was to run it without stopping, which I did! My pace per mile from the race that I had run the day before, which was a mile less than this race, was 13:07, so I was comparatively happy about blowing that pace out of the water. I was a little down on myself that I had finished Take Your Base with such a slow time, so this was just the kick in the butt that I needed to get my confidence back up and get my positive self-talk back in gear.

Stats!

Crossing the finish of this race was one of the proudest moments of my life. If you told me a year ago that I would be running 10Ks, I wouldn’t have believed you for a second. I will never forget the way that I felt on this day.

Until next time!

Take Your Base!

My seventh race was the Take Your Base 5-Miler, presented by NYCRuns, the American Heart Association, and the Brooklyn Cyclones, on June 30, 2012. This race was exactly one week after the first-and-only-other 5 mile race that I had run, the Front Runners Lesbian and Gay Pride Run. The race took place in Brooklyn, along the Coney Island boardwalk. I was reeeeally excited about this, because not only was I going to have the opportunity to run the entire stretch of the world-renowned Coney Island boardwalk, but the last stretch of the race was around the baseball field of MCU Park, which is where the Mets Farm Team, the Brooklyn Cyclones, play! How cool is that?!

Take Your Base!

The proceeds from the race benefited the American Cancer Society. There were 800 runners in the race, and over $20,000 was raised for the ACS through the Take Your Base 5-Miler, which is awesome [many runners chose to fundraise in addition to paying their registration fee]. I’ve participated in and have fundraised for Relay for Life since 2009, which also benefits the American Cancer Society, so I was pumped to participate in another fitness-related event that supported the organization.

Brooklyn Fights Cancer!

I picked up my race materials the Thursday before the race. Packet pickup was being held at a running store in Park Slope that I frequent. That night, I was meeting up with a new friend, Megan, that I had met through the power of the interwebs, to discuss the ins and outs of a New York City based queer running group called Front Runners [which is the organization that hosted both the Brooklyn Pride Run and the Front Runners Lesbian and Gay Pride Run]. I had been seriously considering joining based on the encouragement [/harassment] of a few coworkers, and wanted to learn more about what I would be in for when I was ready to take the plunge. It turns out, she was running the race, too! We planned to meet in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn so that it would be convenient for me to pick up my race stuff before we met up. The race registration fee included a Brooklyn Cyclones jersey [they ran out of appropriately sized shirts, so I got a bigger one and gave it to my grandfather] and a ticket to a Cyclones game the night of the race [which I ended up skipping out on, but more about that later].

I was a liiiiiiittle grumpy the morning of the race. I didn’t sleep well, because the people that live below me were blasting music until 4:00AM in the outdoor courtyard behind my apartment. I asked them super politely to turn it down, and may or may not have called 311 after they didn’t, in an effort to get it under wraps, with no luck. The whole situation was extremely frustrating, because I’ve lived in my apartment for over two years, and this was the only time in which anyone had made as much as a peep post-10:00PM! I ended up closing my windows to muffle some of the sound, which transformed my apartment into a sauna. It was bad news bears. When my alarm went off at 5:30AM, I was tired, grumpy, and stressed out.

…thankfully, the trip down to Coney Island went smoothly. It took just over an hour to get there. My friend Amy, who was also running the race [and who ran part of the Front Runners Lesbian and Gay Pride Run with me], spent the night at my place to get a head start to the trek to Southern Brooklyn. It was a nice change to have company during my commute to a race, as up ’til this point I’ve always made the trip alone. Shortly after we arrived at the Stadium, this photo happened:

We made our way over to the starting line, and my face was dripping in sweat just from standing around waiting to start. It was HOT. I’m talking, like, 90 degree hot. The sun was beating down on all of us like it was nobody’s business. Everyone at the start was joking about hot it was, which was fun, and somehow seemed to make the heat more tolerable. I really enjoy the camaraderie that runners have with one another. I love being a part of that, which is an awesome unexpected unintended consequence of starting and being on this journey. It has since become one of my favorite things about running — being a runner.

How cute!

After what seemed like forever, the gun [actually, it was more like a bullhorn] went off and it was time to go. The course started on Surf Avenue, outside of the Coney Island Boardwalk, and after about a quarter of a mile of running, we were dumped onto the Boardwalk via one of the main entrances. Amy and I ran the first 2 miles together, and, as we were running, I kept trying to remember why I was so freakin’ excited to run on the Boardwalk. I clearly did not think this through!

At the start.

The Boardwalk is a VERY. DANGEROUS. PLACE. The planks of the boardwalk are old and deteriorated. Some pieces of the wood are completely missing. There are nails popping up everywhere. Shit is uneven. It seems that every summer, Coney Island USA is in danger of shutting down, so there’s no money available to fix ‘er up. In the first half mile stretch of the Boardwalk, we saw two people fall, and at least another half dozen people trip and catch their footing before they fell, too. After seeing folks that appeared to be much more fit and agile than me fall, I became very nervous that I would fall, too. Up until that point, I had yet to sustain any running-related injuries [and, thankfully, the same holds true today], and I plan[ned] on keeping it that way. I ran very cautiously, being sure to look down at the ground where my feet were landing to protect myself. This, between the intensity of the sun beating down on my face, made this run, honestly, kind of miserable.

Around mile 2, I had to pee. BAD. This was a good excuse to split off from Amy, because it was getting increasingly harder for me to keep up with her pace. I stopped by the men’s room located in the center of Coney Island Beach, did my thang, splashed A LOT of cold water on my face, and headed back out to join the crowd. I couldn’t believe how hot it was.

Eventually, the Boardwalk of Coney Island becomes less like a boardwalk and more like actual ground, which was news to me since I had never actually made it down that far down the Boardwalk before! I started to feel a little better about my life at that point, since I didn’t have to worry too much about falling face down on the Boardwalk and scuffing up my pretty mug. At the end of the Boardwalk, we turned around to run the same route in reverse to make the trek back towards the Stadium. This was a relief not only because I knew that I must be more than halfway there, but also because the little breeze that there was was hitting me in the face, rather than [barely] caressing my back.

Have I mentioned how incredibly HOT it was? I wasn’t exaggerating in the least when I said that it was over 90 degrees…it really was! It’s hard to explain how I was feeling during the run. I was having a really good time, and, of course, was so happy to be running, but I was simulatenously feeling pretty miserable. My chest felt like it was going to cave in from the humidity. I had never really felt that sensation before, and it kind of freaked me out. I stopped twice during the race to walk [not counting my potty pit-stop], which bummed me out a bit because I thought I was past that part in my journey, but I cut myself some slack given the circumstances.

Some photos from running the Boardwalk:

Beach.

Mural outside the New York Aquarium.

Mural outside the New York Aquarium.

Fish.

Wonder Wheel!

I was elated when I saw the exit of the Boardwalk that would lead me to the finish! As I made the turn off of the Boardwalk en route to the Stadium, I heard/saw an ambulance in action, which made my heart beat a little faster. Towards the end of races, I always find myself reflecting on how fortunate I am for my health, how incredibly grateful I am for being able to reach my goals in this way, how proud I am for where I am now, etc., but the sights and sounds of the ambulance put those feelings into overdrive.

The end is in sight! View of stadium lights from the Boardwalk.

Running the last stretch of the race on the field was a pretty cool experience. I had envisioned that we were going to be running along the inner part of the field, by where the bases are, but the course took us outside the perimeter of the entire field, just inside the boards in the back of the outfield. I snapped a few pictures while on the field making my way to the finish:

I love the lawn designs on baseball outfields!

Iconic structure on the boardwalk via the field.

After I crossed the finish, I went on a hunt to find Amy. I found her at the top of the stadium, waiting in line for water [...the post-race amenities were an absolute mess], and joined her. I needed water…BAD. And, so did everyone else. I was complaining a whole lot because of how potentially dangerous it was to keep people that just ran 5 miles in 90+ degree weather waiting for water! Thankfully, after about TEN MINUTES of waiting, we finally got some. I grabbed a banana and an apple, she grabbed hot dog, and we headed over to the stands to chill out and watch the awards ceremony.

Finish!

We had planned to spend the whole day on Coney Island so that we could go to the Cyclones game that night, but we didn’t end up making it! After spending a few hours on the beach, having lunch at an awful pub just outside the boardwalk on Surf Avenue, and being in the heat all day, we were done with all-things Coney Island by 2:00PM, and opted to head home instead of staying for the game. Which, in all honesty, was probably for the best, seeing that I was running the Queens 10K the next morning [more about that soon]!

Post-race, pre-bathing suit!

A few days after the race, I received this E-mail from NYCRuns:

…

HA! That isn’t right…

The next day, I received this E-mail:

I know better than anyone that math is hard!

Yes, that sounds more like it…

Take Your Base was a personal worst for me in terms of time [and probably in terms of a few other things, too], but, nonetheless, it was a good experience, and another notch on my runner’s belt. Until next time!

Front Runners New York Lesbian and Gay Pride Run!

My fifth marathon qualifying race [and 6th race overall] was the Front Runners New York Lesbian and Gay Pride Run, on June 23rd, 2012. I was really pumped to be a part of this run! As I mentioned in my Brooklyn Pride Run post, my queer identity is central to who I am, and running has become one of the most important aspects of my life. Being able to celebrate queer history and queer identities by participating in these two runs meant a whole lot to me!

This race was the longest race that I had run to date, clocking in at 5 miles! The race took place in Central Park. Unlike the other races that I had run in Central Park, which started at 72nd Street, the start of the Pride Run was allllllllll the way up at 102nd Street. The other races that I had run up until this point in Central Park were 4 miles, so the fact that this run started further north shouldn’t have been a surprise to me. But, I wasn’t thinking of the fact that the extra mile had to be accounted for AT ALL. I was all set and ready to head to the normal starting point. Thankfully, my friend texted me the night before to let me know of the different starting place [which I didn't see until I woke up on race day], otherwise I would have been all by my lonesome at 72nd street wondering where everyone was, followed shortly by freaking out that I was 30 blocks away from the start!

Course Map!

I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t feeling a little apprehensive about my ability to run 5 miles when I registered for this run. I mean, it’s 5 miles! Not only did it sound cumbersome, but I had never run 5 miles before! I managed my anxiety by reminding myself that I’ve run 4 miles many times, and that 5 miles was just 1 mile longer than that. “If you can run 4, you can run 5″ became my on-and-off the course mantra that I cycled through my head in the weeks leading up to the race. On Saturday 6/16, just a tad more than a week before race day, I decided that I would test myself and see if running five miles was something that I was capable of. I knew deep down that I could, especially because of all the positive self-talk/mantra repeating that I had been engaging in over the past few weeks, but I NEEDED to know. I needed the proof to fall back on. I felt that the feeling of KNOWING that I could do it would make me feel that much less stressed and more confident at the starting line come race day. So, I did it. I ran five miles!

Run from Bed Stuy to my WW Meeting!

I started in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, and ran all the way to a Weight Watchers meeting in the Flatiron District in Manhattan. And it felt GREAT. I stopped once in the East Village to buy a bottle of water, because the water that I had put in my water bottle was long gone, but other than that I was smooth sailin’. I knew I could do this! Speaking of my water bottle, I bought one shortly before this run that has a pocket that is big enough to to hold my phone! It’s nice to be able to have, in the event I want to go on a run and bring my phone and/or other essentials with me, without having to wear my fanny pack [yes, my fanny pack].

On race day, I left my apartment with more cushion time than usual to account for the extra time that it would take me to get up to 102nd Street. I didn’t have time to swing by the NYRR Headquarters in the Upper East Side before the run to pick up my race materials, so I needed to get there at least a half hour before the race start to pick them up before the registration table closed. I also didn’t know where in the Park everything would be located [baggage check, port-a-potties, the start, etc], so I wanted to be sure to leave plenty of extra time to orient myself to the new space.

I ran with this during the Pride run, and thus was able to take a lot of photos en route!

The race started at 9:00AM, which was a nice treat because most NYRR races start at 8:00AM. I made excellent time en route to 102nd street, and arrived a few minutes before 8. I was excited to find the registration table, because I was informed by a very reliable source that the race souvenir shirts were nice! I picked up my bib and shirt [and was not disappointed!], dropped off my baggage, and then went to search for my friend Amy, who I was meeting at the race.

Found her! And, yes, she is wearing the best shirt ever.

After I was done drooling over her shirt [which I had no idea that she had ordered specifically for the race!] we headed over to our corral.

Patiently waiting for the gun!

Creeping up to the start!

We crossed the start at 9:07AM. Amy and I ran together for the first two miles, which was a really good test for me, because she runs about 30 seconds/mile faster than I do. It was also good for me to dip my toes in the running-with-other-people waters, even if I’m still not comfortable utilizing running as a social activity just yet. Our first mile clocked in at about 10 minutes, and the second was about 10:20. After we passed the mile 2 marker, I was started to feel a little on the winded side, since I was running so much faster than my usual pace. I lagged behind a bit and told Amy to speed ahead, because I needed to conserve a bit for what the next 3 miles had in store! I was feeling reeeally good, despite it being in the high 80s! Passed mile marker 3!

Mile 3!

Before I knew it, the infamous you’re-almost-done-with-your-4-mile-race turn was right in front of me! This is the point in which runners start booking it during the typical NYRR 4 mile races, because it is so close to the finish.

Seeing this corner was the biggest tease ever! You’ve still got a ways to go!

It was extremely hot, and getting hotter as the race went on. I drank A LOT of water, and ran through a sprinkler!

Words cannot explain how good this felt!

Even though I was sweating buckets and getting tired, the race was flying by. Onto mile 4!

One more to go!

And then these cuties from Front Runners showed up! Just the encouragement [and smile!] that I needed! Thanks, boys!

Be cute!

In the last half mile stretch, you are not going to believe who I saw!

That’s right, Crazy Legs! I mentioned him in my post about the New York Colon Cancer Challenge — he was the dude wearing the shirt that said “Crazy Legs” across the back that helped me keep my pace towards the end of the run. I then saw him on the train on the way to the City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks race. And, now during the Pride run! Do you ever think about whether or not there is someone out there that for no reason knows who you are, and sees you again and again? Crazy Legs is totally that guy for me. #creepy

Crazy Legs!

Shortly after I saw Crazy Legs, the finish was right up ahead. All I could think was “OMG, I’m about to finish a 5 mile race!!”. Amy finished about three minutes before I did, so she was able to capture this shot of my crossing the finish:

Check out those legs!

At the end of the race, I ran into my friend Lauren, who is also completing the 9+1 program this year to run the marathon in 2013! She ran the marathon in 2010. She and I used to work together, and she is awesome. I was so happy to have run into her, especially since she ran the Brooklyn Half this year and I did not see her then!

Did I mention that one of the post-race snacks was POPSICLES. Rainbow lick-a-color popsicles!! I was fore-warned that these bad boys would be included as a post-race snack option, but I just sort of brushed it off as not being a big deal. But, OMG. After running 5 miles in the nearly 90 degree heat, that popsicle is the best thing that happened to me all week. And, to top it off, my friend Amy didn’t want her popsicle. And so I HAD TWO. Take that, summer!

After some much-needed popsicle licking and photo taking, I met up with my coworker and friend Nathan to say hey. He totally smashed his race. As if that weren’t perfect enough, he met Wilson Cruz [you know, from My So Called Life!] after he finished. Apparently he ran it! And then, you know, walked around topless, allowing all of the race finishers to oogle over his six pack. Yeah, I missed it.

I had so much fun during this run, and it was a new achievement for me. Five miles! Looking forward to building upon this milestone!

Stats!

Brooklyn Pride Run!

My fifth race was the Brooklyn Pride Run 5K, presented by Brooklyn Pride and Front Runners New York, on June 9, 2012. The race took place in Brooklyn, around the loop in Prospect Park. I was really looking forward to this race, because I had never a run in Prospect Park before, on my own OR for a race. For those of you that have never been, Prospect Park is GORGEOUS. It was designed by the same geniuses that designed Central Park. Not to mention, it is much easier/quicker for me to get to from my apartment than it is to get to Central Park, which is where the majority of the races in the city take place.

I was also really pumped for this race because it was a Pride run! June is LGBT Pride month, which celebrates LGBT history and LGBT communities. My queer identity is central to who I am, and running has become one of the most important aspects of my life, so being a part of this run meant a lot to me.

Brooklyn Pride!

I left my apartment at 7:45AM, which was a little later than I had hoped [which seems to be an ongoing trend for me in terms of leaving my apartment for races], but I made it to the Park with plenty of time to spare before the 9:00AM race time.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, as this run was the first that I participated in that wasn’t an NYRR event. Shortly after I arrived to the park, I saw my coworkers Nathan, Shannon, and Victor and chatted them up for a bit. I knew that they were going to be there, and I was really happy that we got to spend some time together before the race. I was a little more nervous than usual because of the unfamiliar environment of the race, and spending some time with friends definitely helped calm my nerves!

Thankfully, I [miraculously] did not need to use the facilities before the run. There was only one port-a-potty for everyone at the race, which, as you can imagine, was super problematic! After a while, a few other port-a-potties by the entrance were opened. If I needed port-a-potty access, I’m sure that I would have been a sad panda!

Lube trash can — only at a queer event!

The race got started around 9:10AM. I felt good throughout the race. I had a lot to look at, since this running venue was new to me. The loop in Prospect Park is really pretty, and is COVERED with trees. Shady, shady trees. It was super hot out, so the shade was much appreciated.

After the first mile, I saw a water fountain and sprinted towards it. I don’t know what it is, but I’m the thirstiest runner ever. There was a water station at the halfway mark, about a mile and a half in, and I made sure to stop there as well for some much needed hydration.

Prospect Park is HILLY. The hill in Prospect Park eats Cats Hill in Central Park for breakfast. My coworker Victor mentioned this prior to the start of the race, and he was NOT kidding! I panted my way up. But then had the pleasure of speeding my way down! Gravity, you are the best.

In the last stretch of the race, I saw something that gave me just the push that I needed to finish…MEDALS! FINISHER RAINBOW MEDALS. When I saw runners that had finished walking around with medals around their neck, and I GUNNED it. I was so excited! A few moments later, I heard Victor [who, by the way, was my previous medical provider...I mentioned him briefly in my City Run for the Parks blog entry] cheering for me as I ran by him. He had already finished his run, and tagged along with me to finish the remainder of my run with me. While we were running, he was very kind with his words of encouragement, which motivated me that much more to push harder. We crossed the finish together, me for the first time and him for the second, and I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter gesture! It meant a lot to me to have his support, not only as someone who used to help manage my medical care, but also as my coworker and friend.

Victor and I met up with Shannon and Nathan, and posed for a photo!

From left to right: Shannon, Nathan, Victor, and Me!

Then we posted with all of the race participants. See below for the cuteness!

I’m towards the left, by the pole!

The best part of the race was the E-mail that I received a few weeks later declaring finish times:

21:27? That’s a 7 minute mile…

Don’t get too excited…this is not accurate! I didn’t even know that they were taking time — I had just assumed that it was a fun run when I wasn’t given a time tracking device when I picked up my bib. This is just an expected casualty when timing is done by hand! Ha, definitely made for a good chuckle. To give you some perspective, I run about an 11 minute mile, give or take [spoiler alert: my best pace so far during a race is 10:51, but I haven't written about that race yet]!

But, seriously? The best best part of the race was that A LOT of money was raised for youth service programs at the Brooklyn Pride Community Center, since a portion of the race’s registration fees were donated to the agency. YES! It’s all about giving back.

Added to the Wall of Fame [in my room]!

I’m wayyyy behind in updating about the races I’ve run over the past few months, but am hoping to be caught up within the next few weeks. Until next time!

Celebrate Israel Run!

My fourth marathon qualifying race was the Celebrate Israel Run, Presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, on June 3rd, 2012. Like the first two races that I ran [the New York Colon Cancer Challenge and the City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks], this race took place in Central Park’s 4-mile inner loop. I was very excited to be back in the Park, and to be running a morning race, as leaving my comfort zone for the American Heart Association Wall Street Run threw me for a loop!

Celebrate Isreal Run!

Course Map!

I didn’t pick up my race materials from the NYRR headquarters prior to the day of the race — I just didn’t have time! I’m a fan of ritual, especially in regards to the behaviors that I engage in that are related to the betterment of my health, so it felt really bizarre not making the trek to the Upper East Side the days leading up to the race to pick up my stuff. Not adventuring to the NYRR office to pick up my materials before the morning of the race also meant that I couldn’t sport my bib during my commute to Central Park, which bummed me out more than expected. Maybe I’m overly-sentimental, but there’s something really electrifying about having your race bib pinned to your shirt whilst traveling in a train car, surrounded by fellow runners donned in their race bibs, all moving to the same destination. The same end-goal. The sense of camaraderie and community that I feel when I’m surrounded by other runners is overwhelming to me. I couldn’t have ever imagined that something as simple as traveling to a race would jog my emotions in such an intense way. My running journey never ceases to amaze me.

I was more nervous than usual the night before the race, because I stayed out WAY too late at a friend’s birthday party. Despite not going to bed until around 3:00AM, and only being able to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before making my way to Central Park, I felt great when my alarm started to go off at 6:00AM.

In order to allot enough time to pick up my bib and shirt before the start of the race, I needed to arrive at Central Park by 7:30AM. I made it with time to spare, picked up my bib and shirt [and also scored a free sweatband!]. I’m the sweatiest [not to be confused with sweetest] person in Brooklyn, so the acquisition of this was very exciting. I’ve since invested in a sweatband that is of much higher quality, and, the truth is, I don’t even care how much of a douchebag I look like when I’m wearing it.

My bib!

One of the cool things about arriving to races early is seeing the finish line being set up!

I got a new pair of running shoes, which my Momma paid for in a very sneaky way [thanks, Mom, even if I'm still mad at you for being sneaky!], and this is the first race that I wore them. I had gone for a run in them a few days prior to the race, and it was like running ON AIR. I knew that the shoes that I had been running in since I started running in January were crappy, but I truly had no idea just how bad they were until I had put these bad boys on for the first time. They are my right hand [foot?] men.

Look at these beauts!

I made plans with a friend to get boozy brunch after the race, and the thought of a nice, cold beer was just the carrot that I needed to keep my pace smooth and steady! This was the first race that I ran in which I kept a continuous, non-stop pace. During my first two races, I walked for a good minute or two while making the trek up Cat Hill, and during my third race, I stopped for at least a minute or two at the water station and chugged a million gallons of water, because I was DYING of thirst [it was hot!].

I felt really, really good throughout the duration of this race. I have no idea what made it so great [even now as I write this post, with six additional races under my belt, this was by far my best race...both in terms of my pace and in terms of how I felt while running it]. After I crossed the finish line, I was beaming with more pride than usual, mainly because I was really excited about having run a race without stopping.

Finish!

Almost there!

Stats!

This race was also super monumental for me because since I’ve run 4 of my 9 races through the NYRR, and have completed my volunteer requirement, I’M HALFWAY TO QUALIFYING FOR THE MARATHON IN 2013!

Halfway There!

If you asked me six months ago if this would ever, ever be my life, I would have scoffed the loudest scoff and walked the other way. But, this is my life. Thinking about this makes me SO excited for my running-related future. Things that I think are [almost]-out-of-reach goals, like running a 10-minute mile or running a MARATHON, may end up being just the way my life is. With a lot of hard work, persistence, self-awareness, and reflection, anything is possible.

American Heart Association Wall Street Run!

My third race was the American Heart Association Wall Street Run on May 31st. This race counts towards the 9 that I need to run during the 2012 calendar year to be guaranteed entry into the 2013 NYC Marathon. This race was different from the two that I had run previously [the City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks and the New York Colon Cancer Challenge], in a few ways:

1. It did not take place in Central Park. It took place on the streets of downtown New York City!
2. It took place at night. I wasn’t expecting this make a difference in my run, but it did. More about that later.
3. It was a 5K, so 3.1 miles instead of 4.
4. The corrals were not seeded by NYRR. Meaning, runners were not assigned a corral by NYRR based on their per-mile pace…runners self-selected their starting corral.

Course Map

I left work a lot later than I should have to make my way over to the race, and I paid for it. I HATE the feeling of rushing around. Pretty much more than anything. But, rushing around before you’re about to run a race is a MILLION times worse. The pre-race butterflies are, by themselves, a lot to deal with. Throw rushing around because you’re late in the mix, and it’s bad news bears.

Lots more whining to ensue…

Baggage check was quite-a-ways from the start, which I did not account enough time for. I looked at the map route days in advance, but I didn’t realize that there were pedestrian bridges to walk up, down, and around, which would add a significant amount of time alone, but add thousands of runners to the mix, and it’s a mess. I was in a state of panic the entire time, because I literally had NO idea when I would actually make it to the starting line. I was comforted a bit in knowing that I was surrounded by a ton of other runners who were clearly running on the late side as well, but I was still a wreck.

I finally made it to the start about five minutes before gun time. AHHHH, that was way too close for comfort for me. I learned a very valuable lesson — always allow for more time than you think you’ll need, especially if you’re running a course that you’ve never run before. I never really calmed down from the stress of worrying about not making it to the race in time. I was, for the most part, okay once I started running, but I didn’t have my usual OMGZ I’M SO HAPPY-while-running attitude and glow. I wasn’t in my zen space at all, and was, frankly, in kind of a crappy mood. This was unlike anything I had ever felt before…I’ve never had anything but positive thoughts and feelings about/before/during/after a run. It was definitely a lot to sit with, especially WHILE running, but I guess these things happen — you’re not always going to have a good run.

As I mentioned above, this race was self-seeded. There was A LOT of congestion at the beginning of the run, and I imagine that runners self-seeding themselves HAD to have had something to do with it. For at least the first three minutes AFTER I crossed the start, I was practically at a walk. MESS. It was very frustrating, to say the least. Someone almost tripped over me. And then I almost tripped over someone else…

Finally, we were off to a manageable pace. Mile 1 came and went. And, Mile 2 needed to come FAST. I was SO THIRSTY. The one water station throughout the course was in between Miles 1 and 2, and I felt myself simultaneously slowing down and speeding up [is this possible?] because I was dying of thirst. It was relatively hot out for a spring night, and apparently everyone else was in the same boat as I was; the water station was packed. I felt a lot better after I got some fluids in me — both better about not feeling like my tongue was going to fall out secondary to dehydration, but also in general. I only had a mile to go; I had this.

Towards the last stretch of the race, the course took us along the water, which was just what I needed. I’m fairly certain that was the first time throughout the entire race that I smiled. Being near the water, feeling the breeze, witnessing the sunset, and seeing the Statue of Liberty in the distance, all reminded me of why I love New York. And why I love running. I forgot about all of the crap that happened over the course of the past hour, and just ran. I was reunited with that ridiculously annoying I’m-so-happy-while-running feeling, and I couldn’t have been happier [or more grateful] for that.

Sunset at the Finish.

I finished the race with an 11:00 min/mile pace, which is not what I was expecting AT ALL. I felt so crappy and was drowning in negativity throughout the entire run; the last thing I was expecting was to have that quick of a pace [for comparison, the first race I ran, my min/mile pace was 11:38, the second race was 11:39, but each of those races was a mile longer than this one, so it's not an exact comparison...but you get the idea].

Stats!

This run was a true learning experience, probably one of the most lucrative and intense ones to date. Things I learned from running this race:

1. Running a race at night involves different preparation than running races in the morning. Being at work all day, having several meals, being awake for 12 hours, etc. can and do have a cause-and-effect relationship with your run.
2. Just because a race is a shorter distance does NOT mean that it will be an easier.
3. I’m not always going to have a good run.
4. Allow for more time than you think you’ll need, especially if you’re running a course that you’ve never run before.
5. Seeded corrals. I will never take you for granted again. Pinky square.

Until next time!

The Year of Earning Guaranteed Entry: +1 Credit Adventures and a Pleasant Surprise!

To be granted guaranteed entry into the 2013 NYC marathon via the 9+1 program, I’m spending 2012 running 9 marathon qualifying races through the New York Road Runners. In addition to running these races, I also have to volunteer for one [Over the next year, I'm running a bunch of races not organized by the NYRR, but that has nothing to do with qualifying for the marathon and everything to do with training and having fun]. I decided shortly after paying my membership fee to the NYRR that I wanted to volunteer for the Brooklyn Half Marathon to fulfill my +1 requirement. I knew that I wouldn’t be ready to run a half by the time May rolled around, but NEEDED to be a part of the event. I love Brooklyn, and I lovelove Coney Island, which is where the run ends, so it was a no-brainer for me. I signed up, and couldn’t have been more excited about it.

Or so I thought!

About a month after I signed up to volunteer, this message appeared in my inbox:

OMG!

WHAT?! This couldn’t possibly be accurate. But, as I scrolled down, it very much was! Volunteering for this year’s Brooklyn Half not only counts as my +1 credit for the 9+1 program for the 2013 marathon, but I also gain guaranteed entry into the 2013 Brooklyn Half! I scrolled down even further, and folks who had already signed up to volunteer WERE eligible for this offer. YES! Considering that this year’s Brooklyn Half sold out in less than 10 hours and the 2010 Brooklyn Half sold out in less than a day, this is BIG.

I arrived on the Coney Island Boardwalk at 6:30AM on race day. It was a bit of a disorganized mess, but after about the first half hour or so things got moving. I had signed up to be stationed at the water station, so  I spent the first fifteen minutes of my shift stacking cups in rows and filling them up with water for runners to devour at the finish.

Water as far as the eye can see!

Endless Gatorade.

I was really excited about being at this post, because it meant that I would be ON the boardwalk and be able to see runners in the distance just as they crossed the finish. But, one of the volunteer coordinators asked me to help out at the food station, and I couldn’t say no. The food station was located two minutes off of the boardwalk, so I didn’t get to see runners as they finished, but being able to put a bagel in the hands of someone who so clearly earned it was pretty cool, too.

Volunteering at this post will forever change the way I view post-race apples. To ensure that there are no “bad apples” in the lot, each individual apple is inspected by a NYRR volunteer to make sure that there are no bruises, abrasions, etc. before they are distributed to runners post-race. I spent the majority of the morning before runners started to trail through doing just that. The first runners started to come through around 8:00AM, during which I moved on over to the bagel station to hand those out!

I was a smiling mess throughout the duration of the morning. I kept thinking to myself, “OMGGG these people just ran a half marathon”! It was SO inspiring. I just kept thinking how soon, that would be me on the other side of the bagel table. It was just the motivation I needed, especially as the weather was beginning the get warmer [the Brooklyn Half was in May --- I'm very behind on updating this blog!].

While fulfilling my duties, I saw my Weight Watchers leader Aransas and my friend Sheryl. I found out after-the-fact that a few other friends ran the race as well, but I wasn’t lucky enough to see them on race day.

Sheryl and I post race. Check out my sexy volunteer vest and her hot finishers medal!

Finisher Medals on the Coney Island Boardwalk.

We started to clean up around 10:15, which was A LOT of work. Sweeping up empty paper cups, emptying trash, disassembling tables, stacking everything to be loaded onto trucks, etc. etc. I was very happy when my post was over at 11:00AM! After scoring a Brooklyn Half shirt that is two sizes too big for me, I spent a few hours relaxing on the beach, basking in the fact that I’m one step closer to running the 2013 NYC marathon!

The Year of Earning Guaranteed Entry: New York City Five Borough Bike Tour.

As ya’ll know by now, I’m spending 2012 going through the motions [and the training!] to earn guaranteed entry into the 2013 NYC Marathon.

…well, that’s not the only awesome thing that I’ll be completing next year!

I will be riding in the New York City Five Borough Bike Tour!

The Five Borough Bike Tour is America’s largest cycling event. The Tour is co-produced by Bike New York and the New York City Department of Transportation. The event provides participants the unique and fun experience to bike through all five boroughs – a 40 mile, traffic-free ride for 32,000 cyclists. The tour starts in Battery Park, goes up through Manhattan, through Central Park, stops briefly in the Bronx, into Queens via the Queensboro Bridge, into Brooklyn via the Pulaski bridge, and then ends in Staten Island via the Verranzano Bridge, which is normally closed off to cyclists! The tour also features a bike ride on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway [affectionately called the BQE], which is normally closed off to cyclists. Proceeds from the event fund Bike New York’s education programs. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Bike tour route.

When I discovered that I could secure myself a spot in the Five Borough Bike Tour by volunteering during this year’s tour, I was sold. The Five Borough Bike Tour works on a lottery system. Because the demand to participate is incredibly high, not everyone that is interested in riding is able to. The only two ways to guarantee yourself a spot is to either volunteer for the tour the year before or to fundraise and ride with/for a participating organization [spoiler alert: two of my friends did that this year!].

Volunteer check-in.

Brooklyn Bridge Park rest stop – My volunteer post!

My volunteer shift was at the rest stop at Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is the last rest area before the tour concludes in Staten Island. I arrived at my post at 6:30AM, ready to roll. I helped set up the water bottle refill station [and later on in the day scored an AWESOME water bottle from the NYC Dept of Environmental Protection that I use daily]. We tapped a fire hydrant so that we would have steady access to water to hydrate cyclists throughout the day. Towards the beginning of my shift, there was less to do, so there were a lot of people standing around looking for something to do. Thankfully, once the race snacks arrived, there was plenty to do. I spent the rest of the morning ripping apart bunches of bananas. It was really fun to be surrounded by all of that produce!

Course marshals huddling before the start of the tour.

Boxes and boxes of pretzels!

Larabar party.

Apples to apples.

That is bananas!

Totally got a kick out of this sign. NYC tap water — the official water of the Five Borough Bike Tour!

Stay hydrated, cyclists!

The cyclists started to roll through the rest stop around 9:00AM. I manned the banana stand for the duration of the day [insert inappropriate Arrested Development references here]. People got really excited to see that many bananas all in one place! A ton of cyclists took photos of themselves being cute in front of the table of bananas; it’s always weird to think about how you are in a bunch of random people’s photos! Ha.

I saw my friend Sheryl during her pitstop at the Brooklyn Bridge Park rest area. I neglected to tell her that I’d be there, so I was lucky to see her! Sheryl rode for Bike New York, a biking advocacy and education non-profit [and one of the event organizers]. We snuck in a photo:

One of the banana stand volunteers was nice enough to snap this photo for us!

My friend Rachel also rode in the tour this year. Rachel rode for Planned Parenthood of New York City. I’m a HUGE fan of Planned Parenthood, and have spent the past 6 years of my life working for the agency in one capacity or another, so I was beyond stoked when Rachel told me that she would be riding for them this year. After I made a donation to support her ride, PPNYC sent me this super nice letter in response:

Team PPNYC!

I texted Rachel the morning of the race to let her know that I’d be at the banana stand at my rest stop, so she came for a visit and a banana:

Between my Bonita banana hat and Rachel’s helmet hair, our heads have seen better days.

A few other photos from throughout the day [I didn't get to take a whole lot...separating bananas for 30,000+ riders is hard work!]:

View from behind the banana stand.

Cute!

LOVED all of the helmet flair!

The rest area closed shop at 2:00PM. After eating a well-deserved boxed lunch and cleaning up, my post was over around 3:00PM. Not only did I spend the day being inspired by thousands and thousands of cyclists, next year I will be guaranteed entry into the tour. Pretty fair trade off if you ask me!

Me playing around on my childhood bike when I was back home in New Haven last month. Thankfully, I have a big boy bike these days!

City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks!

My second race was the City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks on April 22, 2012. This race counts towards the 9 that I need to run during the 2012 calendar year to be guaranteed entry into the 2013 NYC Marathon. Like my first race, the New York Colon Cancer Challenge, The Run for the Parks took place around Central Park’s inner loop. All of the funds that were raised support the City Parks Foundation, which provides free programs throughout the city that serve more than 600,000 people each year. This race was a very different experience for me than my first, because there were A LOT more people running! There were over 7,300 finishers during this race, which is more than double the number of runners there were during my first race. WHOA.

A few days day before the race, I started to panic a bit because the weather forecast stated that it was supposed to rain the morning of the race. I had never run in the rain before! The day before the race, after I got out of work, I went to Old Navy to buy something that would be comfortable to run in in the rain, as I didn’t really own anything that was water resistant. I saw a light windbreaker, which I instantly fell in love with, so much so that I ended up buying one in my size to wear at the race AND one in the next size down so that I could sport it as I continue to lose weight. I never, ever do that, but I liked this jacket so much that I couldn’t help myself. That night, I prepared a cup and a half of whole wheat pasta, because what better excuse to indulge in all of the carbs than running in a race! The experience allowed me to reminisce about the way in which my teammates and I on the sports teams I played for in middle school and high school prepared for our games…I probably had too much fun with it. I do love a good ritual!

Mmmmm!

The morning of the race, I woke up feeling really nervous, particularly because I hadn’t run AT ALL since my last race on April 1st. Like, not even once throughout those 3 weeks. I had no idea how I was going to perform, since I hadn’t gone that long without getting in a run since I started running at the very beginning of January. I was a little disappointed in myself for not getting in any runs/preparing myself for this race, but then I reminded myself how far I’ve come, and how very close I was to finishing my Master of Public Health program [which was to blame for me not prioritizing my schedule accordingly to fit in more runs], and I cut myself some slack.

To get to Central Park from my apartment, I take three trains: the G to the L to the 6. On the morning of the race, the G train wasn’t running, so I walked the relatively short distance to the L train [it's two stops away from my place, about a 20 minute walk]. Contrary to my commute during my last race, I affixed my bib with my race number on my shirt before I even left my apartment. During my walk over to the L, two people wished me good luck. I was ecstatic! I think a lot of people that don’t live in NYC have misconceptions about the city in thinking that people here are not nice, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I spent the remainder of my walk to the L train smiling from ear to ear.

There was a group of folks standing in front of the L/G train stop at Metropolitan Avenue hovering over a gigantic subway map. Even though I was running a bit on the late side, I stopped and asked if they needed help being re-directed, since I had assumed that they were trying to find an alternate route to the G, which would be almost impossible to figure out if you weren’t familiar with the subway system. They asked me if I was running a marathon, and when I responded that it was a 4-miler but that I would be running a marathon in 2013, they told me that they were visiting from London, and that today [or, rather 4/22] was the day of the London Marathon. Neat! Thinking about running a 4-miler while folks across the globe were running 26.2 gave me the warm and fuzzies. Thankfully, I had really good train luck when I transferred to the 6, the train that would take me uptown [and, when I got on the train, I saw the guy that I talked about in my last post, "Crazy Legs", who unknowingly helped me keep my pace towards the end of the race]!

I arrived at Central Park 30 minutes before gun time. I walked around a bit, dropped off my baggage, hit up the port-a-potty, and then headed over to my start corral. I saw my friend Amy while waiting in the corral for the gun to go off and waved to her in the distance. I knew that she was running the race, but wasn’t sure if I would be lucky enough to run into her. A little while later, I saw my friend Sheryl, who was making her way over to the corral. As if seeing her was not wonderful enough, she told me that if it weren’t for me she may not have made it to the race that morning. Read about her race experience here [and then follow her blog, she is awesome]! Hearing her say that to me, among other nice things, was just the confidence boost that I needed to know that I belonged there, and that I could do this.

Sheryl snapped this of us pre-race…love that you can see the corral number in the background!

During the race, I felt pretty good. My mind wasn’t completely at peace while running, which definitely took away from my overall race experience, but I felt good. I was thinking a lot about my never-ending work and school-related to do lists, and about some unresolved things in my personal life that were going on at the time. I think part of the reason I wasn’t able to completely turn my brain off and just enjoy the moment was because I hadn’t run in so long. Running is a HUGE stress reliever for me, and since I had been so stressed out and overwhelmed over the course of the month of April, there was a lot to process and nowhere for any of it to go. So when I finally gave it an outlet, my brain was on overdrive. It was a little overwhelming for me. Thankfully, my life is much calmer now [school is over and work isn't as hectic]! I don’t remember too many details of the actual race, even though it was only a little over a month ago, which is interesting to me…especially since I not only had/have a crystal clear recollection of my first race from April 1st, but I also remember ALL of the details of this race leading up to gun time and after gun time. It’s just the actual race that is a blur. I ended up finishing within seconds of the finishing time of my first race, and felt a huge weight off of my shoulders [and a super wide smile on my face] when I was finished. Thankfully, the rain held up and it didn’t start until about an hour after I had finished the race [I have since run in the rain --- and it's not so bad].

Do you see me? [Taken by Brightroom]

Crossing the finish! [Taken by Brightroom]

Less than a minute after I crossed the finish line, I felt a tug on my hood. It was Amy and her BFF Aiofe, who had finished just 20 seconds behind me [spoiler alert: they are way faster than me these days]. Amy was nice enough to take a photo me me post-race.

Post race, equipped with snacks!

Stats!

While walking towards baggage claim to pick up my stuff, I bumped into my previous medical provider, who had also just run the race. He would still be my medical provider today if I didn’t land a job a few years ago working for the agency in which I used to be a patient. I’m a super healthy person in that I don’t have any medical issues; the only thing about my health that has ever been sub-par was my obesity. To have the person who helped me manage my health for over a year see me basking in the glory of just having run 4 miles was a really cool thing for me to experience. It made me feel even more proud of myself than I already was…and I was already feeling mighty proud. That’s a feeling I can get used to.