There's a 5K here that's sponsored by a local bar every year and since this is my last year here in New York, I figured I better not miss the chance to run it one more time. It's a pretty hilly out and back course with a hairpin turn at the halfway point, but I didn't plan on really racing it anyway. I'd just done a 20+ miler the day before and I ran the almost four miles to the start in a stiff headwind, so really, the three chilly miles were just sort of logistic technicality to get to the real point of the event...the free Guinness, hot breakfast spread and Irish band that the bar provides for runners afterwards. The live music all along the course is great too, but it's not like you can really stop to enjoy it.
I've got to wonder a bit about the mile marker placement, since my splits came out really weird. The first one went by in 6:49, but felt like a much harder effort. I can easily blame that on having dead legs from the day before, but the second mile seemed much easier and that went by in 6:47. Then things got really strange because I did the last mile supposedly in 6:06. There was a downhill in there, but I'm pretty sure there was an uphill too. Then my last .1 of the race calculates out to 6:40 pace, so that would mean that I'd just done close to a 6-minute mile and then slowed up abruptly just as the finish was in sight? Not likely.
The good thing though is that I could care less. It was fun, I got to hang out with friends, I got a buzz going by 10 am and most importantly, I made it to another rest week.
As for the marathon, I'm currently leaning towards Kentucky Derby. I've got roots there, I love horses, it's easy for both me and my honey to get to and even if it's warmer than I'd like, everyone out there has to compete under those exact same conditions. There are no guarantees when it comes to weather and it's not beyond the realm that it could be 80 degrees in Boston and 55 a week later in Louisville.
Comments (4)
I feel like the mile markers at that race are always off! Did you hear that general buzz when you were up there?
On a random note - shouldn't it be "I couldN'T care less"? I thought I'd heard other americans say it your way, but assumed I'd just missed the quieter N'T part, but now I see it in black and white. I don't get it?!
Posted by Yvonne | March 3, 2008 3:38 PM
Posted on March 3, 2008 15:38
Hmmm...I guess it IS supposed to be 'couldn't care less'. On the other hand, I suppose it would be possible for me to care less, say if I hadn't kept track of my mile splits, then I'd care somewhat less.
Language is funny. And blogging brings out a lot of the quirks since you tend to write more like you talk and when you talk, most people take a lot of linguistic shortcuts. I often say 'pry' when I mean probably and 'a whole nother thing', which looks ridiculous when you write it.
As for the general buzz at the race, I would say yes, everyone was generally buzzed after the race. :)
Posted by chelle | March 3, 2008 4:41 PM
Posted on March 3, 2008 16:41
Sounds like we ran almost the same race this past weekend, only mine didn't include a buzz and didn't come at the end of an 80-something mile week.
Anyway,
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Posted by joe positive | March 4, 2008 1:10 PM
Posted on March 4, 2008 13:10
"...got a buzz going by 10 am"
Very funny!
Posted by Josh | March 29, 2008 9:52 AM
Posted on March 29, 2008 09:52