Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The New Haven Labor Day Race 2011

I did the New Haven Road Race again, nope, not the 20k just a measly little 5k.  I have a Half coming up in 2 weeks and I don’t want to be the mess that I usually am after a super long race.  Yes super long is a Half I cannot even imagine doing a Full.  I got to the New Haven Green way early, walked all over watched them set up stuff and saw some friends.  I got free bread did some running to warm up once they closed the streets.  It is so interesting to see people drive and then they can't go where they want so they just stop and ask the policemen for help.   I never knew cops were part GPS.  
Okay it’s getting close to gun time soon,  I’m at the start and I start choking up cause that is what I do every race.  I have no idea when that started,  I think after returning from an overuse injury when I could not run for months and was in rehab  at least 2 years ago.  Since then every race since my return I cry.  I am a sap.  The mayor talks, there is the national anthem and we are off.    Mile one was okay I did it and felt fine.   We pass the water stop there is no water just empty cups all over the ground.  I remember when I did the 20k last year they ran out of water at the end and I needed it some sooooo bad.  I could not believe there was no water again.  We run.  We come to a spot there was oil over the road.  It was insane.  Now everyone is complaining and slipping and I just try to run over dirt or leaves to get that junk off my shoes.  Water station  coming up!  Horary!  They have water after all!  I have no idea what that first water stop was I do know sometimes the locals hand it out so maybe that was not an official stop.   I guzzle and run some more.   Humidity kills me.  It’s humid, it’s killing me.  I am pushing it so hard.  I think I am doing 10 min miles if I am lucky.  At the start  40 seconds passed before I crossed the starting line so I really don’t know what I am officially doing,  later I learn the Garmin showed a  10:19 pace with 40 seconds of walking to cross the start so really I did a  9:40 mile and that is amazing for me.   I couldn’t hold that pace,  the next one was 10:46 which is much more my style.   Last mile was 10:29 not horrible.  So I didn’t beat my best  race time ever but I am only 10 seconds off from my best time there ever.  I kinda think if I only pushed it harder a little more I could have done better but all went well.   I didn’t puke so that is a bonus.  Great friends,  great weather, great day, great race.     Running is cool

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