Race Recap: the Staten Island Half Marathon

Well, it took 7 years of doing races with the New York Road Runners, but I can officially say that I have completed every race that is part of the 5 borough series. Some, like the NYC half and the Queens 10k I jump at the chance to run each year, but I was a hold out with the Staten Island half. After hearing friends stories of the hills there, plus the annoyance of having to drive in or take a ferry, I never bothered with this race before. But this year, it fell on a weekend where all of my local running buddies had other plans, and I needed to get in a long training run for the NYC marathon. So when my friend Carson told me she was registered for the race, and encouraged me to sign up too, it was just the push I needed to finally cross this race off the “to-do” list.

Carson lives in Manhattan, so to make race morning easier I crashed at her apartment the night before. So on Saturday afternoon I hopped on the LIRR and headed into Manhattan, then walked uptown and met up with her and her boyfriend, Drew. The three of us killed some time by visiting the Nike store and walking through their winding 5 story shop, which showcased various athletic gear and assortments of sneakers, and then met up with an additional friend of carson’s and headed to “The Monkey Bar” for dinner. Carson is on a quest to find the best burger in NYC, and this restaurant was on her list to try. The highlight of the meal for me was the appetizers – we got an order of the king crab rangoon and their truffle mac and cheese to share, and both were delicious.

After dinner we headed uptown to Carson’s apartment, and the two of us prepped our bags and outfits for race morning. I had decided on a long sleeve tee and a pair of shorts for the following day’s race, which was projected to have temps in the high 40s, with clear skies. Carson had picked up our race bibs and shirts in advance, which meant we could sleep in a little later the following day. The two of us hung out and caught up, eventually turning in for an early-ish bedtime.

When my alarm blared at 5:45, it felt WAY too early. I slowly rolled out of bed and got dressed, and braided half of my hair while Carson got ready… I would finish the other half later in the morning, while we waited for the ferry to arrive at the terminal. Carson had set up an Lyft, which picked us up at 6:15 and drove us all the way downtown to the ferry terminal. It was a quick ride, and when we got into the terminal they had a shop open, so we were able to grab breakfast while we waited for the 7:00 ferry to arrive. As 7:00 grew closer an announcement was made that the arriving ferry had “limited capacity,” and nervous runners rushed to line up at the ferry door to ensure that they would make it onto the boat.

When 7:00 rolled around, we were able to get on to the ferry, and even found seats near a window on the lower level. We watched the sunrise over the water as we headed from Manhattan to Staten Island. When the ferry arrived at staten island we opted to wait in line for the bathrooms in the terminal, which were indoor, instead of waiting for porter potties outside, since it was a chilly morning (it was in the high 40s °F). By the time we made it through the line it was already 8 am, and we were scheduled to start the race at 8:30. I quickly braided Carson’s hair, and then we headed outside.

The race staging was set up right outside of the terminal, which made getting to the start super easy. As soon as we walked out we saw NYRR tents, and were easily able to find the bag check, where I left my overnight bag while we were running. Once our bags were left behind, we headed to security, where we had to walk through metal detectors. But as soon as we were through security we could see the start corrals, and headed towards our corral, after spending a minute stretching and arranging all my fuel for the race.

Before we knew it, the corrals were collapsing, and we were walking towards the start. My plan for the day was simple: steady state running. I wanted to settle into a comfortable pace and just keep moving forward, no walking breaks, not even for water or fuel. While Carson and I were starting the race together, we knew we would probably go our separate ways a few miles in.

We crossed the start with all the other runners, and the rolling hills began almost immediately. Carson had run the event another year and warned me that at the beginning of the course the road had a bad left/right slant, and she was so right! We tried to stay as close to the middle of the road as we could, watching our feet as we ran over the uneven roads. Despite this, we were feeling okay as we settled into running, chatting as we made our way through the first few miles. There were water stations every mile or so on course, and while we got separated after the first one, Carson popped back by my side soon after. Between miles 3 and 4 Carson decided to walk a little, and we said our goodbyes and parted ways as we came upon another hill.

By then we were at the out and back part of the course, and I could see runners streaming by in the other direction and turned with them around mile 6 as I approached the second half of the race. My pace was holding steady in the mid-10s range, and I felt pretty good.

I started to recognize the course around mile 9, as we ran by Ft. Wadsworth, where the start village for the NYC marathon is held each year. I felt excited seeing it, thinking about how in under a month I’ll be there with Mike, getting ready to take on the NYC marathon together. Shortly after that I ran up yet another uphill, which took me under the Verrazano, where the NYC marathon starts. That got me even more excited for race day!

The last few miles of the race were sometimes along the water, which gave us city views as we ran. When I got to mile 11 I switched from listening to an audiobook to some music, looking for something a little faster paced to give me a push to get me through the last few miles.

Before I knew it I was going up what spectators yelled was “the last hill of the race,” and then spotting the finish line. I pushed to get through the last little bit of the course and crossed the finish line – and accomplished my goal of running the whole race without walking.

From there I was herded through the finisher chute, where I was handed a metal and then a recovery bag, which had a box of water, a bottle of Gatorade, a bag of pretzels and an apple. The fenced in area lead right to the bag check, so I grabbed my stuff and then found a curb to re-organize and stretch while waiting for Carson to finish running. A little less than a half hour later she came out of the finisher area and proclaimed that she was ready to get off this island and head home.

The two of us headed to the ferry together and found a sunny outdoor seat on the top deck for our return trip to Manhattan. Once we were back in the city we hopped on the subway, where we parted ways for the day. I took the subway right to Penn station, where I was able to change out of my running clothes and grab a sandwich while waiting for my train to arrive. It was a lot of mass transit to get home, but at least there wasn’t too much waiting around. When I got to the station near my house Dennis was waiting to pick me up, and I spent the rest of my day relaxing and recovering from the morning’s race.

Week 6: Training for the 2022 NYC Marathon

One week flows into another, and somehow, we are more than a month into this! I am still wrapping my head around the fact that we are halfway though August and starting to look forward to the cooler temps that will come along with fall running. Heck, I will even take frosty winter mornings over humid hot ones!

Monday was a rest day, and while I was supposed to run Tuesday morning, it just didn’t happen. My alarm woke me up, I texted my parents about the crap night of sleep I had spent tossing and turning, and rolled over and slept for the extra hour. I’m not proud of it, but we all have mornings where the bed wins over the run.

I did get my run in Tuesday though – just as the sun was going down. When I got home from work I painted the bathroom that was renovated last week (the only part that wasn’t done by the construction crew was the paint), and once that was done I changed into my running clothes and hit the road. I did another one way trip to my parents house, this time with a quick loop near my house at the start to make it a little longer, since I would need to use their shower after. It was warm out, but the humidity wasn’t bad and there was a little breeze as I ran along. The sun got lower as I got closer to my parent’s house, but I managed to make it there while it was still day light. Once my three miles were done I headed inside and knocked out 10 minutes of core work before hitting the shower. Dennis met me at the house so he could shower too, and we headed home together. Hopefully when this paint dries we will not need another coat, and will be able to pull down the plastic and actually use the new bathroom!

I promised myself that I was going to get up and run Wednesday morning, so I went to bed early. Despite this, my body was not agreeable about being asleep that night. I woke up groggy on Wednesday morning, but still got up and made myself go through the motions of getting dressed, putting my running shoes on, and driving to my parents. I went for another 3 mile run that morning, just focusing on forward motion as I put one foot in front of the other. Sometimes marathon training is about showing up and getting the run done, even when you don’t feel like it.

Thursday morning I planned for my longest weekday morning run so far in this training cycle – 6 miles. I got to my parent’s house a little later than planned but got on the road as quickly as I could. I focused on getting through one mile at a time, and at mile 4 asked my dad what the latest time he could bike along until was – he said he had maybe another 10 minutes that he could be out for, and I let him know that I would be running for at least another 20, so he should break off as needed before I started looping. I worked on picking up the pace a little bit for the last two miles, and mom and dad both stuck with me until the end of the run. It was then a mad scramble for me to get ready for work and get out the door on time, and I mentally resolved to not do this to myself again – If I needed to run further in the mornings, I had to get up earlier.

Saturday I was registered for the NYRR 12 mile training run, which consisted of two loops of central park. I had volunteered to drive my friends in, so I rolled out of bed when my alarm went off at 4:45 am, and got ready to go. I had packed all of my gear the night before, so I just needed to get dressed. Once I was ready I took a ride to the bagel place around the block from my house, and picked up breakfast – a plain bagel with peanut butter for me, and a cream cheese bagel for Mike. Michal met me at my house, and the two of us rode to pick up Mike and then head to central park.

When the NYRR races are on Saturday’s street parking can be hard – on Sundays there are more spots available, as a lot of “no street parking” signs are suspended on Sundays, but that is not the case on Saturdays. So I usually use the spot hero app to book a parking garage near the start, and was able to snag a place to park for $15 – well worth the time saved, which we would have spent looping city blocks and hoping we would not have to sprint to get to the start on time.

Once we were parked we walked the few blocks to central park. Race day central was at the ball fields, and we even had gotten there early enough that there was no porter potty line (a rare runner “treat”). After using the bathrooms we picked up our race bibs, and had a little under a half hour to kill before the race was set to start. Michal had to get in 16 miles, as she is training for the Chicago marathon, so she headed to sneak in some extra mileage before the start, while Mike and I headed to our corral and hung out there, stretching as we waited for the race to begin. I took a Ucan gel, a brand that I decided to try last month after hearing the Ali on the Run show talk about it. I ordered a case of gels and a case of bars to sample.

Michal got back to the corral just as we were starting to move forward towards the start line, and the three of us crossed the start together. It was a warm and muggy morning, and Michal and I had decided to try using base salt for the first time, at the suggestion of our friend Katie. We took salt as we crossed the start line, then planned to take more every other mile as our run progressed.

The first mile was spent dealing with runner congestion, as we headed downhill before arriving at Harlem hill for the first time. By the time we made it to the top of the hill we were sweating, and the crowds had started to spread out a little as everyone found their pace. There were aid stations every mile or so, and at the second one I was already glad to see cups of water, and took salt for the second time as I chugged a cup of water.

After Harlem hill we headed to the three sisters, a set of rolling hills in central park. I was already feeling the heat of the day as we approached the aid station after mile three, and could feel a little numbness in my hands, which sometimes happens when I am not fueling well on hot days. I decided to take a gel at mile 3, in hopes of getting ahead of this, even though it was earlier than I would usually take nutrition. Soon after, I realized that when I pulled out my gel, I managed to knock the salt out of my pocket – so the salt experiment ended abruptly for me.

We continued around the Central Park loop together, chatting as we made it to the south side of the park, climbed cat hill, and finished the first loop. It was a humid day, and we were all feeling the impact of the heat. I continued to take a gel every 3 miles, because I could tell my body needed it. Around mile 9 my knee started to bother me, so I pulled my knee strap out of my pocket and pulled over to quickly pop it on. At least we were nearing the end of our slog.

We took to walking through the aid stations to make sure we were taking in enough water, and when we finally hit mile 12 and crossed the finish line there was a huge sense of relief…. For mike and I. Michal was aiming to finish 16 miles, so she ran on to complete her final 2 while Mike and I took our time stretching and having post-race snacks. Once she was finished with her run, we walked together back to my car, and headed home.

The hills and humidity took a big toll on me that day – I wound up falling asleep on our couch around 6 pm, and den tried to wake me up to move me to bed to no avail. When I did wake up, it was around 9:30 pm, and I had a quick snack before moving to bed for the night.

I was glad that my long run was done on Saturday, because it meant I could use Sunday to recover. I headed to a yoga class in the morning, and then had an acupuncture session, where they focused on hamstring release. I felt so relaxed and my legs felt so much better by the time I was done at the yoga studio.

Week 3: Training for the 2022 NYC Marathon

Marathon training always flies by fast, but I can’t believe it is already week 3! I was looking at my calendar yesterday and realized that I have managed to book something almost every weekend before now and the race, so I am sure to be squeezing in long runs between activities at some point. This week started with an off day, with no running on my schedule.

When I got home from work I changed into my workout gear and knocked out a 10-minute peloton core class. Sophie and had plans to meet up at the gym and do a group Pilates class, so we met there right before class started. I have been enjoying returning to group workouts, and it is nice that the cost is included in the cost of the gym membership, as it lets me just have fun as we try new classes instead of worrying about getting my “money’s worth.”

Once the class was over we decided to head to the weight room, as I wanted to do a few lower body exercises – my knee was still bothering me a bit, and I felt like it would be good to revisit some of the strengthening exercises that I had been given when I did physical therapy back in 2019, as the pain felt similar (but less intense). We spent about a half hour between three machines, switching off for sets so we would get a break between each bit of work.

It had thunder stormed for a bit on Monday night, which meant that Tuesday morning gave us the gift of cooler temps and low humidity. I had forgotten to locate my headphones when I set out my clothes the night before and settled for grabbing my Shokz open swim headphones (which are waterproof, so they don’t have Bluetooth capability). I had been listening to the Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix audio book as I swam, so that morning I got in another chapter as I ran.

My Mom and Dad were waiting outside when I got to their house, and we got right on the road this morning. Mom and I chatted for a bit at the start of the run, and then I got into a groove and started the audio book as the conversation petered out.  It was another three mile morning, and when the run was done I headed home and had some eggs for breakfast.

After work I decided to walk to the pool again and managed to find an empty lane for laps. I got in 30 minutes, and then walked home and did a 10 minute peloton core class, before digging into some thai food. I am hoping that while the pools are open for the summer I can get there every two or three days to swim some laps. Since I am just returning to running, I worry that my mileage isn’t high enough for marathon training, and supplementing with swimming laps makes me feel better about the volume of work I am doing.

It was another miracle in July on Wednesday morning, as we had mild temperatures in the 60s and relatively low humidity again that morning. I had a restless night of sleep and was worried my body would be against waking up to run, but like clockwork I woke up just before 5:30, and got moving once I transferred one of our cats, Binx, from my lap onto my still sleeping husband.

I got ready, this time with my regular headphones since I had managed to find them the night before, and was greeted with a pretty sunrise as I stepped outside. I had 4 miles on tap that morning and got to my parents’ house early enough that they were not yet waiting outside for me.

We headed out together and got on the road, and as I chatted with my mom during the first quarter mile I almost felt like my old self again. My stride felt natural, and my feet moved with a cadence they had so many times before, unlike the slower paces I had become accustomed to as of late. After a moment of taking in the feeling I slowed myself down, knowing that if I pushed my knee was likely to feel even worse than it had over the last week or so. But it was nice to know that, even if it’s just for a moment, running can feel good again. It makes me feel like I can build back to where I was, as long as I take things slow and trust the process. The four miles slipped by without any fanfare, feeling like a normal morning run to me.

Run three of the week was slated for Thursday morning, and I worried about its fate as I saw thunderstorms in the forecast. I texted with Dad, and we decided to push the run to Friday when the skies would be clearer. Thursday became a day of strength training – in the evening, since I took full advantage of a little extra sleep in the morning. When I got home from work Den was setup in the home gym on Zwift, so I grabbed a jump rope, kettle bell, and resistance band and headed out to the backyard patio. I turned on some up beat music, and started a cycle of jumprope until burnout, kettle bell thrusts and squats, and then monster walks and side squats with the resistance band until my heart rate was back down in zone one, at which point I would start the cycle again.

It wasn’t the best or most structured workout, but I enjoyed listening to my body and going through motions that felt good. It was a break from my normal routine, and I really enjoyed it. Eventually I called it quits, and finished my workout with 10 minutes of core.

Mike had inquired about joining for a morning run, so on Friday I picked him up on the way to my parents’ house. It had not been an easy wakeup morning, as my alarm ripped me from sleep when I was not expecting it, but once I was on the road I was happy to be getting my run done. The weather had returned to the soupy, humid air that is expected in July, and I was happy that Mike joined us as we looped around the neighborhood. It was warm enough that instead of waiting for a water signal, my dad pulled alongside us several times during the short run and mandated water intake (not that I minded, the water was refreshing!). We kept the pace conversational, but I still struggled to talk at times, just because of the conditions. I dropped Mike off after the run, and went on with my standard work day.

I took it easy on Saturday, and caught up with my housework. Den and I went shopping to get supplies to do some weekday lunch prep, and I got all my stuff together for Sunday - I had plans to run a NYRR event and then head to Brooklyn to go to smorgasbord with my brother and some friends.

Sunday’s race was the NYRR team championship, one of their weekly races that I hadn’t done before. It was a 5 mile race, that we planned to tack 3 miles on to so we’d get a total of 8 miles done.

Dennis came along so that he could join us for smorgasbord after, so the two of us got up around 4:45 and stopped to grab some bagels before picking Mike up. I drove the three of us into Manhattan, and after a few loops of city blocks we managed to find street parking. It was a little under a mile walk to the start area of the race, where we met up with Apryl, another member of the BibRave community. Apryl and I had been chatting online for years, and since she recently moved to NY I was excited to finally meet in person and get to run together.

We picked up our race bibs and race giveaway, which was a cool reflective Fanny pack! I really like when races give out something other than a shirt.

We headed towards the porter potties, and got in just in time before the race got started. We hopped into the corral right as the crowd started moving forward, and started our running intervals as soon as we crossed the start line.

Thankfully the course headed south from the start, so we got to avoid Harlem hill. Mike, Apryl and I chatted as we made our way first through the three sisters, then around the south side of the park. The weather wasn’t too warm when we started, but the heat turned up as we made our way further into the run, and I was happy each time I spotted an aid station and got a cup of water. The second half of the race took us around the bottom of the park and then north towards the finish, and included a trip up cat hill, and a spotting of the cat statue that lives at the peak of it.

The different teams within NYRR were out in full force as we approached the finish, with the front runners even forming a cheer tunnel on the course! We crossed the finish with smiles on our faces, and grabbed some water before venturing out to do the last three miles of our run.

We explored Central Park a little as we got in our final three miles, first heading north in a way that would have brought us up the backside of Harlem hill, but bailing onto one of the smaller, more wooded trails before the climb got too bad, and then approaching the hill from the other side, enjoying that downhill that took us to the base of Harlem hill before turning around.

Eventually we made our way back towards the ball fields, where Dennis was waiting on a rock as we ran. With our miles complete (8 for me and Mike, and 14 for Apryl), we took a minute to stretch before heading back to the car.

From there Mike, Den and I picked up Carson and her boyfriend before heading to Brooklyn, where we stopped at my brothers apartment to pick him up, and so Mike and I could each shower quick and change before heading to get lunch.

I had never been to the prospect park smorgasbord before, and it was easy enough to find once we made our way into the park. It was a loop of maybe 20-30 vendors, all serving different foods. One of the first booths we saw was selling different types of lemonade, and we all gave into temptation on the hot day, getting drinks as we decided on food choices. We took the try everything and share it all approach, sampling things like dumplings, rainbow grilled cheese, poutine, and pad Thai. It was a fun afternoon, and a yummy way to refuel after a training run while catching up with friends.

Race Recap: 2019 Queens 10k

Well, we are half way through 2019, and I’m almost done with my 9+1 program with the New York Road Runners, which will earn me a spot in the 2020 NYC Marathon.

My 6th race of the year with the road runners was the Queens 10k, which takes place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, NY. This was the third year that I was participating in this race, and it is one race that I have looked forward to each summer. The ride into queens is a bit shorter than the ride into Central Park, since I live on Long Island, and Dad has come along each year to cheer me on and snap some photos as I run. This year Sophie was also signed up to run, but since I wanted to race the event, we weren’t planning on running together.

I headed over to my parents house race morning, as Dad had agreed to drive to queens, and was surprised to see that my mom was awake and ready to join us. Sophie and I piled into the back seat and we were on the way. We were able to find parking in the park, so we managed to avoid having to park in citi field. We had a little walk to race day central, which had moved from where it was located previous years. This of course lead to me leading us entirely out of the way, but a volunteer eventually pointed us in the right direction, and we found it near the entrance to the subway stop at citi field.

We were able to get our bibs quickly enough, but the diversion in getting to the pick up meant that we didn’t have time to stop at the bathroom before the race. Instead, I headed for the corrals of wave one, and Sophie and I parted ways as I climbed into the corral.

A few members of the Tri team, including Sami and Nicole, were in a starting corral near mine, so the three of us were rapid fire texting before the race, trying to spot each other. We all wanted to run similar paces, so I was trying to spot them before the race began. Eventually Nicole flagged me down, and we found Sami shortly after.

The national anthem was sung, and after a bit of corrals shuffling forward, we were off! The first mile was a bit crowded, and it seemed like a fair number of runners with wave 2 bibs had somehow wound up in wave one, and it was probably a big part of the congestion that was going on. Eventually the narrow park road opened up as we made a left and headed under some highways, and we got a little more space to spread out.

While overall the course was flat, we had a few sections that largely consisted of getting up highway overpasses. Mom and Dad were positioned just after the first one the race went by, but I managed to miss them. Mile two took us by the queens museum, and then on a very long out and back, which lead to the entrance of Citi field before turning us around and sending us back to the park. As the sun rose in the sky the humidity picked up, and we were all reminded that the park was once a swamp, as buckets of sweat ensued. Throughout the race I caught glimpses of my teammates, and seeing them pushing made me continue to cling onto what was, for me, a hard pace.

As we entered the park again and ran through mile 4, I reminded myself that it’s only a 10k, it would be over in just two more miles! I spotted my parents as we ran through the park, and knew I would spot them again by the unisphere. I just kept pushing to keep up with Sami, trying to focus on running and ignore the urge to constantly check the pace on my watch. Mile five took us passed the worlds fair pavilion and observation towers, AKA those space ships that you see in the Men in Black movies.

Mile five took us passed the unisphere, and then over to the area race day central was, before heading back towards the unisphere, and making one final turn towards the finish line. So close, yet so far! I managed to keep moving forward and stick with Sami until the end of the race, and we finished in 53:19. Not too shabby for a humid day. I was happy with the time, and even happier to be done running. I was handed a medal, and collected my finishers bag, which had an Apple, a Gatorade, a water, and some pretzels.

After the race Sami and I found Nicole and Gabby, and snapped a mini-team picture, before I headed back to race day central to collect my tank top. I always get nervous about getting a shirt my size, as they sometimes run out, but I got the size I wanted this time.

I headed back towards the unisphere where my parents were waiting for Sophie to run by, and got there just in time to spot her and cheer her on. I met her by the finish as she completed her race, and then we took some photos around the park before heading home.

I love the historic scenery that you get to run by in this race, with the relics of the worlds fair scattered throughout the course. If you’re a Disney fan, this is where it’s a small world and the carousel of progress first debuted! It’s a “must do” on my race calendar each year, and I always enjoy exploring the park with my family after the race.

We hit some traffic heading home, but it enabled a little post-race nap, which was perfect for me! All in all, it was a fun start to Father’s Day weekend.

NYRR 9+1: 2018 Fred Lebow Manhattan Half Marathon

So, one of the goals that I set for myself this year is to run at least one half-marathon every month, and I signed up to run the Fred Lebow Manhattan half as my January race. When I signed up for this race it was the third event on my calendar, but with race switches, cancellations and transfers it wound up being my first event of the new year.

With being sick for the last three weeks, I was a little nervous about jumping into 13.1 miles. Don't get me wrong - I am finally getting over this cold, even if I hardly have a voice, but I am far from 100%. The night before as I pulled my gear together for this race I was nervous, and was dreading the race the next day. What if I couldn't finish?

Thankfully, Dad agreed to drive me to the race, and hang out in central park while I was running. We left the house around 6 am, and I tried to eat a peanut butter sandwich and hydrate as we traveled. We got to central park around 6:50, and Dad started circling around as he looked for parking. At 7:00, he dropped me off by the entrance to the park so I could pick up my race bib while he continued to look for parking.

I headed into the park with several extra layers on. It was easy enough to find race day central - I just followed the masses holding gear check bags and wearing sneakers. Race morning bib pickup was a dream, with no wait to get my hat and my bib. At NYRR races they use a QR code for quick pickup, and I learned today that every runner is assigned one QR code, which is used for all of their events - it's not a different code for each race as I had previously thought. So, I'll share the tip I got from the woman who was working bib pickup today: screen shot your QR code and save it in your phone, that way you always have it on race morning.

I grabbed a gear check bag even though I wasn't checking anything, that way I could throw my coats in it and easily pass them off to Dad when the race started. I made a quick pit stop at the porter potties, and then headed towards the start area and hung out on a bench near the start line while I waited for 8:00, when the race was scheduled to begin. By this time, Dad had found a parking spot and met me in the park. There were runners all over the place, and lots of people walking their dogs. Before 9:00 am it isn't required for people to have leashes on their dogs in central park, so there are always lots of people out with their pets on race mornings.

At 7:45 I started to get all of my stuff together. I took my pre-race Gu and loaded three more into my SPI belt, along with some Sport Beans in case I wanted a mid-race pick me up. I also set up my headphones and stored my inhaler in the back pocket of my leggings. Dad and I headed towards the corrals, and I handed over my jacket. I made a last minute decision to keep my gloves and headband because I was cold at the time, but knew I would be sick of them by mile 3.

Once I was in corral E I only had time to take my inhaler before the national anthem was sung, and we were off. Dad texted me that he would be on the left side of the course just before mile marker 3, so I made a mental note of that as I got moving.

I didn't have big expectations going into this race. I figured that I would aim for a pace in a 10:00 - 10:30 range, and hopefully feel okay. I didn't pay too much attention to my pace in the first mile, I just tried to settle into the pace of the runners around me. As we approached the first mile, my watched buzzed and let me know that the pace had been a 9:11, and I felt pretty okay. I had gotten caught up in the excitement of the race starting and had gone out faster than expected.

With the second mile came Cat Hill, and I slowed my pace a little as I took on the first hill. I knew I would be hitting this hill two more times and had two trips up Harlem hill in my future as well. Mile two slipped away, and I spotted dad for the first time just before mile three, and flailed around a little to make sure he saw me approaching. Sure enough, I had ripped off my mittens and ear warmers before mile three, and attached them to my SPI belt, where they would live for the rest of the race.

Next, the race headed around the north end of the park, and Harlem hill approached. As I trotted up the hill there were more spectators than could be found elsewhere on the course, some with signs and some just cheering runners on as they headed up the hill. Mile 5 came in at 9:38, which would wind up being my slowest mile of the race. As I conquered the hill, my watch buzzed with a text from Dad that he would be just before the water station that was near the start line, where I would complete loop one of the race. I wasn’t too far from there when I got his text, and caught him by surprise as I ran by.

Had to get a selfie with the Fred Lebow statue as I ran by!

As I made my second loop around the park I was feeling really good, and when I hit the halfway point of the race I considered my mile splits – they had been pretty good so far, ranging from 9:12-9:38, and I wasn’t feeling excessively strained, so I decided to pick the pace up a notch. I ran by dad again just before mile 8, and this time he was ready for me to run by and snapped some photos.

With the pace sped up, the course and its hills had become instantly more challenging, but I was ready. I kept my fueling strategy consistent, taking a Gu every 4 miles and some beans when I felt like I needed an extra push. Around mile 10 I got sick of hearing music as I ran, and the headphones got shut down so I could just enjoy the sounds of the park, the people, the runners feet pounding the pavement.

When my watch hit 11 miles, my time was at about 1:43…. 2.1 miles left to cover - if I could do that in 17 minutes I would break 2 hours. Now, my half PR is 1:58 and change, and the fact that it was possible to finish anywhere near that pace today blew my mind. So, I picked up the pace one last time, in hopes that I could at least finish the race in just under two hours – but what I didn’t consider here was that my watch was running about 0.15 mi ahead of the course mile markers.

I really pushed to get through the last two miles, which despite the hills came in at 8:42 and 8:12. When my watch hit 13.1 miles, the time read 1:59:38. But at this point I quickly realized that I still had a bit more to run before I came upon the actual finish line, which I crossed in an official time of 2:01:03, and I was elated. I had not only finished, but I had finished in a time that was (at least in my speeds) fast!

Was it a PR? No. But for me, it was a personal best, even if I had not hit a record. For the first time, I had managed to run negative splits for a race. I felt great at the finish line, which was a victory in and of itself after how I felt at the NYC marathon finish line. Most importantly, I felt strong, and was reminded that I needed to stop telling myself that things are impossible – because I can complete races that once felt impossible.

I collected my medal and walked happily through the finishers area. I had missed Dad at his last on course location, which was just before mile 13, as I was more focused on getting to the finish line. When I started this race, I questioned what kind of day I would have. Heck, I had even considered not doing this race, but boy am I glad that I ran it.

So let this be a reminder to you: You can do impossible things, you just have to give yourself the chance.