NYRR 50th Anniversary Run and my 100th NYRR Race!!

Hi all,

Race number 17 was the NYRR 50^th Anniversary Run.  We ran the lower 5-mile loop counter-clockwise, starting and finishing at Tavern on the Green.

Goals:  i) to run between the water stations; ii) to set a PR (sub 45:06); and iii) to finish in under 45.

This race was capped without prior notice by the NYRR and I hadn’t remembered signing up for it (I’d been debating whether or not I wanted to get up early enough to get to a 5:30 am start), but then I received the e-mail from NYRR with the race details, so, after the Japan Day race, I stopped by the NYRR office to pick up my gear.  There wasn’t any, so I just thought it was a mistake.  Yesterday, though, the reminder message was still on my mind and I decided to call the NYRR to ask about it.  Turns out, they did have a bib for me!  Luckily, I was able to stop by again after work to pick up my gear – no race day pick-up for this one!

Unfortunately, the trains are bizarrely screwed up between midnight and 5 am, so I had to get up before 4 am to get to the start.  It’s normally 45 minutes at most to get to the start, but this morning, I left the house just after 4 am (because I’d checked the train schedule and there was supposed to be a train at 4:11), waited half an hour for the downtown train, which runs on the downtown track as a shuttle, so there are only 2 each hour, had to cross over to the downtown platform at 168^th Street, wait there for the train to take me the rest of the way, and arrived at the start at 5:25.  I was exhausted and a little stressed, because I hate waiting!!  Plus, I could have slept another half hour!!

So, we’re lined up and it’s pouring rain.  There are the usual announcements, including a shout-out to one of the runners who was celebrating not just his birthday, but his 50^th!  He is the exact same age as the NYRR and is a runner!!  What wasn’t announced, but was equally important to me, was that this was my 100^th official race with the NYRR (not counting the two races that were converted to fun runs due to weather issues)!!  So, less than ideal circumstances for a 5-mile run – the metal grates and painted white lines get slippery and I’m afraid to twist my knee, so I tend to be a bit tentative when the ground is wet.  I decided that I would run this for fun and be glad that I was participating in such an important event for the NYRR and for me.  I also knew from the course map that there was only one water station on the course (on the 102^nd Street Transverse)**, so I wasn’t sure what to do about the breaks I usually take.  I headed out nice and easy, but the humidity caught up to me and I ended up taking a break in the 2^nd mile and then 2 more in the 4^th mile.  I also hadn’t realized I was running this race until the night before and had run a ladder the morning before, which I wouldn’t have done, otherwise.  I’m not unhappy with my performance, though.  I managed to hold on the last mile and brought it home fast – no finishing kick, but the entire mile was solid.  At previous anniversary runs, they’ve handed out Little Debbie cakes at the finish, but I was disappointed to see that we got the usual bagels and bananas at this one.  There were no medals or t-shirts or any other commemorative souvenir for this event, either, which seems strange.  I have my bib, though, and I save all of them, so that’ll have to do!

Official stats:  my official time was 45:30 for an average pace of 9:06.  My splits were 9:08, 9:21, 8:52, 9:37, and 8:37.  I was out 1156 of 1784 total runners, putting me in the 35^th percentile.  It was 55°F* with 97% humidity.

Celebratory treats:  I know I didn’t hit my goals, but it was my 100^th NYRR race and the 50^th anniversary of the NYRR, so I’m celebrating!!  I had one of my favorite breakfasts:  toasted everything bagel with olive cream cheese from Bagel Maven, plus a Frango dark chocolate mint cookie from Sue, who ran 2 amazing track races the night before and kindly shared her celebratory treats with me.  Thanks, Sue!!

Next up:  Anaheim 5k (6/14)

Race pictures are available here (I haven’t had time to rotate or caption them, but I will as soon as I get a chance):  http://www.flickr.com/photos/7411850@N04/sets/72157605437824364/

*The NYRR website says that it was 62°F, but one of the buildings we ran past indicated that it was only 55°F.

**This is not a complaint.  Because of the need to have the course cleared for traffic by 7 am, I completely understand why there was only one station.