Because fast running aggravates my butt condition more than anything else, I was mostly just a spectator, except for one event. Anthony, Da, Tsing and I (four of the club "gaysians"...aptly named Team Joy Luck Club!) did the "Distance Medley Relay." I had never even heard of a DMR before, but it's a fun event, consisting of four legs of varying distances (1200m, 400m, 800m, 1600m). I was assigned to do the 1200. I hated the fact that the 1200 was first, because I was planning to take it easy, and it would mean that everyone would see that I was last, haha. (I can be insecure like that.) Things turned even worse when, lining up for the start, I realized that Dane was also doing the 1200 for his team. I KNEW Dane would never let me hear the end of it if he beat me in the 1200, so I was forced to make a decision...turn this into a real "race" and end up further aggravating my butt (and possibly jeopardizing my performance in the NYC Half-Marathon less than 36 hours later), or face Dane's ridicule and taunting. The choice was clear.
When the gun started, the faster people in the heat (Kelsey, Peter Macari, Chris Stoia) took off and were quickly way up front. Then it was Dane and me. I decided to tuck in right behind him and let him set the pace. I knew if I were leading, I'd want to pace off the fast group, and there was no way I'd be able to sustain that for 1200m. So for four laps, I stayed one foot behind Dane, giving him the job of dictating how fast we were going and cutting through the stale Armory air. I felt like I could go a little faster, but I was happy to hang back, for a while. I could tell I was psyching him out a little bit because in that fourth lap, he looked back twice to see if I was still behind him.
This was hard! A 7:15 pace meant 54-55 second 200s, which is slower than anything I've ever run on the track before. When we started, I just started running at a comfortable pace, having no idea whether I was going anywhere near 7:15. Eventually, I knew I was going too fast, but it was so hard to get myself to slow down once I had settled on the pace I was going. I did cheat a little, too... I was about to pass Josh (who was not going anywhere near his half-marathon pace) when he whispered to me that he trying to run a 6:57. That made me slow down dramatically.
In the end, though, I was still way off my goal pace, finishing the mile in 6:51. I've never run a half that fast in my life! (Although I'd love to, and be able to finally break 1:30.) 29 seconds off of my goal. I had mixed emotions... I was way off my goal pace, but at least I felt good doing it, and it reminded me that in the real half, I'd have to start off much, much slower.
* * *
Sunday morning was the New York City Half. It started at 7:35, on E. 95th Street. I overslept, and woke up at 6:55, on W. 14th Street. My first reaction was: "SHIIIIIIIIIT!!!"
My second reaction was to throw on my race clothes (which, luckily, I had organized on the floor before I went to bed) and run out the door. No breakfast, no usual pre-race bathroom routine. I was so, so annoyed.
I ran across 14th Street to 7th Avenue to get a taxi. There were no taxis around. So I ran to 6th Avenue. Still no taxis. 5th Avenue, no taxis. But I did see this girl in her racing outfit and approached her, hoping to split the next taxi or gypsy cab that came by. She told me that her mom was on her way to pick her up and bring her to the start. Less than a minute later, her mom pulls up, and I get in the car. I think her mom was a little confused, but she was really nice, and we had a very smooth and fast ride up to E. 97th Street. I still had my bag to check, so I ran up to the late baggage van, all the way up at 102nd Street, and back down to the blue corral at 95th Street. Fortunately, they let me into the corral without a problem, and I was there, all warmed up, at 7:33, with two minutes to spare.
Mile 1: 7:26
Mile 2: 7:28
Mile 3: 7:30
Mile 4: 7:37 (rolling hills b/t 80th and 96th on the West side)
Mile 5: 7:25
Mile 6: 7:41 (going up Harlem Hill)
Mile 7: 7:29
Mile 8: 7:35 (last mile in the park, seem to have slowed down a bit)
Mile 9-10: 14:48 (forgot to press lap; sped up and ran with IJ for a bit along 42nd Street)
Mile 11: 7:20 (the band playing "Eye of the Tiger" on the Westside Highway @ mile 10 got me pumped up)
Mile 12: 7:10
Mile 13: 6:52 (felt good for the finishing kick)
Mile .1: 0:41
* * *
After the Half, Mike Terry convinced me that a long bike ride would be a good way to recover my legs. Easy for him to say, he didn't run the half! But it was a beautiful day on Sunday, so I agreed. We ended up going about 30 miles, meeting on the WSH at 14th Street, going across the GW Bridge, and spending some time on Route 9W (the beginning of the route that many people take to bike out to Nyack, a ride that I've been wanting to do for awhile).
On Saturday, though, I'm planning on doing the Wurtsboro Mountain 30k, held in Wurtsboro, NY by the Sullivan Striders. It's a really tough race, with the first four miles rising about 1000' in vertical gain. Two years ago, I finished in 2:17:08 (7:21 pace). It's going to be a "fun run" this year, though... maybe around 8:00 miles or something. But I'm excited!
Dear David Lin,
ReplyDeleteI was rather suprised that after your long and annoying rant about beating me on my first official track relay ever...that you didn't mention the fact that I beat you by more than 3 minutes in the NYC Half Marathon. Who had the last laugh huh?
Your Friend, Dane Grams
I love you Dane. Kisses.
ReplyDeletedane is hot- are you single? :)
ReplyDeletexo
I am indeed anonymous.
ReplyDelete