Race Report: Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff

What a fun, quick race!  Even though I generally prefer longer distances, this race was a fun way to start off my Sunday!  I initially went into this race hoping to run sub 8 minute miles, but not sure if I would be able to due to yesterday’s long run.  So, I changed my goal pace to 8:15 and just hope to have fun.

Before the race:

I woke up at 7:20 and got ready, waking up O in the process.  He sleeps too much anyway   I grabbed a banana to eat on the walk and stopped for some deli coffee.  It was great to be able to walk to the race and not worry about getting there late!  I was in the corrals by 8:20, where I chatted with an older man who’s running the NYC Marathon next weekend.  I love the spontaneous connections you make while waiting in the corrals; moments like that remind me of how great the running community truly is.  This race is also a great way to feel part of the NYC Marathon excitement even if you’re not running it.

I think I started one corral back from where I really should have started.  For some reason they had my pace as 8:12, but I knew I could run faster than that and wanted to be in the corral ahead of where I was.  Corral placement is especially significant in Central Park races because you inevitably spend the first 2-3 miles dodging other runners and having your pace set by those around you.  There are just too many people in too narrow a space to go at your own pace at the outset.  Usually by mile 3, the crowd thins a little and you can move around easier (although you never have enough room and always have to dodge elbows and feet a little bit!).  However, I respected the corral colors and didn’t move up because I figured that 15-20 seconds off my pace wouldn’t be a huge deal.

Mile 1:

Felt great!  Even though the race started up hill, my legs felt really strong and not tight after yesterdays 13 mile jaunt.  The course was crowded, but I felt as though I was keeping up a decent pace.  When I hit the one mile mark, I had no idea how fast I had run the mile in because I didn’t notice the time when I crossed the start.  Based on my finish time, I think it took me about 8:30.

Mile 2:

The course was still pretty crowded and I felt slightly boxed in.  This mile was featured a lot of up hills and was pretty tough.  However, during this mile I easily passed a woman huffing and puffing across the transverse but wearing a red number, meaning that she was place in the first corral.  This frustrates me greatly, and I’m sure it frustrates faster runners to a greater degree!  Considering how crowded Central Park races are, I think it’s really important to be honest with yourself about your pace.  The corral you start in really dictates your pace for quite a while, so having to dodge slower runners when you have correctly paced yourself is super frustrating.  I ran this mile in about 8 minutes, but I knew I could have gone faster without the crowds.

Mile 3:

Ooh mile 3 is a tough one!  There’s a hill on the east side that I usually run down because I run the park counter clockwise.  Hitting that uphill clockwise is tough, but since I’m a decent hill runner I can also use it to pass some people.  I started to feel the race here, and my 13 miles from yesterday.  I was surrounded by a few people who kept trying to get their pictures taken by the photographers, meaning that they were darting from side to side of the course.  I almost went flying over them a couple of times and may have muttered a few choice words at them.  This mile was run in about 8 minutes too.

Mile 4:

Two miles left, hell yeah!  This mile had a nice big downhill and I was able to pass some people, including the darters.  I finally felt like the course opened up here and I wasn’t boxed in by people.  But, I was definitely breathing hard at this point and kept reminding myself that it was only 2 miles to the end and I could keep it up.  I picked out a girl I wanted to pass and used her as motivation to keep my pace up.  This was my fastest mile at this point and I ran it in about 7:45.

Mile 5:

At this point, I knew I was almost there and I knew the course wasn’t too hilly.  I pushed it and was able to pass more people, even though I was breathing really hard and my lungs were hurting.  I finished the final mile in 7:45, feeling like my lungs were on fire.

Final Time: 39:46

Pace: 7:57

Age/Gender Place: 84 out of 753 (wow!  pretty good!)

Overall Place: 1312 out of 5334

Even though I had fun (ignoring lingering memories of my burning lungs…), it just proved to me that I desperately need to start doing speed work again!  I am not getting any faster and the only reason I was able to sustain a decent pace is because my legs are so strong from marathon training.  Ugh speed work is not my favorite, but I’m going to have to suck it up.  Maybe I’ll wait until after Philly though….

Also, I completed my 9th run for 9+1!!!  All I have to do is volunteer at one race and I’m guaranteed a place in the 2010 NYC Marathon!!!  Holla!