Now it's 2007.
Today was my first race of the year! Yeah, I did the GYGO! Challenge, but this was an actual race where I was trying to run fast...and pass people and everything.
My goal time was to break 45 minutes for the 9K/5.6m, which translates to an 8:02 mile. I thought it would be feasible on a good day...
...which today was definitely not. It was so ridiculously humid. January? Hello? Anyone? I'm a fan of the warm weather and all, but sweating while standing around waiting for a race to start in January is a little insane.
My first mile clocked in at 8:01, which was actually perfect considering I was about 15 seconds behind the line when the gun went off. The second mile was 8:12, but there was a pretty decent incline up an overpass, so I still had hope for my goal at that point. I hit the 3 mile marker and my watch said 8:23, and that's when I knew I was a goner. I felt like I was booking it and had actually slowed down.
My calves were tight, I had a side cramp, and it felt like every time I took a breath I was just slamming against a wall...can someone say dehydration? Thinking back, my pre-race intake was pretty idiotic. I didn't drink enough and ate salty food the day before. Bad move, obviously.
Mile 4 had a water stop that I putzed through and at the mile marker my watch actually said 8:42. Yikes. That's when I told myself to stop being ridiculous and that I could definitely run faster if I just used my head a little.
So, for the last 1.6m (a 9K race--anyone heard of one before? Yeah, I didn't think so...), I really pushed it and managed to reach mile 5 in 8:24. Then, I kicked it in for the last .6 and although I don't have that split (I never remember to stop my watch at the end), I know I was going faster because I was actually passing people again (including the blue-shirted chick that I had my eyes on the entire race--yeah!).
So, I believe my final time was 46:48 or so (clock time), which is an 8:21 pace. Not what I wanted, but it's okay. I learned that racing 5-6 miles is actually pretty hard. A 5K is hard in it's own right too, but 5-6m is too long to go all out (for me anyway), and too short to just allow myself to cruise.
My dad ran too, and is newly inspired to get back in shape. After he fell out of the tree house last summer, he got out of the habit of running and is just starting to get back into it again.
All in all, it was a good race experience. It was the 100th annual Jackson Day race and is the longest running race in New Orleans, so it was definitely cool to be there. They called up all the past winners of the race, and there was a guy who won in 1954...plus the grandkids of the person who won in 1908. The course record holder was there; he ran it in 25:--. 5.6m in 25:--. Can you imagine?
As an added bonus, I grew up with the guy who won this year (we went to Temple Youth Group together. ha!); he ran it in 28:-- and is getting his PhD from Emory. Perfect guy material if only he wasn't deathly skinny from all the running. (Kidding, I'm kidding...)
Today, I (once again) realized breaking 4 hours in February is going to be really hard. I can't be cocky about it and honestly...I might not be able to do it. But, I'll hopefully get closer than before and one of the races I'll actually get there...that, I'm definitely sure of...
As a side note, New Orleans still needs so much help, guys. I know people have kind of forgotten by now, but it's still such a dire catastrophe. This was the city that I always went to on field trips and vacations...and now it's so much of a shell. It's coming back, but so very slowly. The city feels sad, and used up. It just breaks my heart.
My next post is going to be a photo-log. My goal when taking pictures was just to take some pictures of the family trip, not to document New Orleans. Consequently, the pictures I got don't even begin to adequately describe the situation, but they're something. I wish I had more time to go around and photograph where we ran and the other damaged areas, but suffice it to say that there really hasn't been much improvement since I was there last year.
You still see more abandoned houses than not; the water lines houses are still visible. The shops are mostly closed, with those that are open only being so during very limited hours. It's not at all uncommon for the stop lights to be out of order, but more disturbing than any of this stuff is just the general feeling of chaotic unrest and uncertainty. It doesn't feel like a city that knows what is going on. It feels lost.
Anyway, I know that's all depressing, but it simply seems dishonest to experience New Orleans without at least mentioning what it's going through as a city.
But (just to talk about myself a little more), back to race stuff...following the example of others, I'm listing my 2007 major race schedule. I still want to figure out a late summer Half Iron, and a late year ultra. I have ideas, but I have to wait to register until my summer plans are firmed up, so I'm still open to suggestions...
Jackson Day 9K: January 7
NYRR Half Marathon-Manhattan: January 21
15K in Newtown, PA: January 28
NYRR Half Marathon-Bronx: February 11
Glassboro 10m: February 18
Mardi Gras Marathon: February 25
Wildflower Olympic Distance Triathlon: May 5
?Timberman HalfIronman: August 18?
Texas OneOOne Triathlon: November 11
?Huff 50K: end of December?
My goal time was to break 45 minutes for the 9K/5.6m, which translates to an 8:02 mile. I thought it would be feasible on a good day...
...which today was definitely not. It was so ridiculously humid. January? Hello? Anyone? I'm a fan of the warm weather and all, but sweating while standing around waiting for a race to start in January is a little insane.
My first mile clocked in at 8:01, which was actually perfect considering I was about 15 seconds behind the line when the gun went off. The second mile was 8:12, but there was a pretty decent incline up an overpass, so I still had hope for my goal at that point. I hit the 3 mile marker and my watch said 8:23, and that's when I knew I was a goner. I felt like I was booking it and had actually slowed down.
My calves were tight, I had a side cramp, and it felt like every time I took a breath I was just slamming against a wall...can someone say dehydration? Thinking back, my pre-race intake was pretty idiotic. I didn't drink enough and ate salty food the day before. Bad move, obviously.
Mile 4 had a water stop that I putzed through and at the mile marker my watch actually said 8:42. Yikes. That's when I told myself to stop being ridiculous and that I could definitely run faster if I just used my head a little.
So, for the last 1.6m (a 9K race--anyone heard of one before? Yeah, I didn't think so...), I really pushed it and managed to reach mile 5 in 8:24. Then, I kicked it in for the last .6 and although I don't have that split (I never remember to stop my watch at the end), I know I was going faster because I was actually passing people again (including the blue-shirted chick that I had my eyes on the entire race--yeah!).
So, I believe my final time was 46:48 or so (clock time), which is an 8:21 pace. Not what I wanted, but it's okay. I learned that racing 5-6 miles is actually pretty hard. A 5K is hard in it's own right too, but 5-6m is too long to go all out (for me anyway), and too short to just allow myself to cruise.
My dad ran too, and is newly inspired to get back in shape. After he fell out of the tree house last summer, he got out of the habit of running and is just starting to get back into it again.
All in all, it was a good race experience. It was the 100th annual Jackson Day race and is the longest running race in New Orleans, so it was definitely cool to be there. They called up all the past winners of the race, and there was a guy who won in 1954...plus the grandkids of the person who won in 1908. The course record holder was there; he ran it in 25:--. 5.6m in 25:--. Can you imagine?
As an added bonus, I grew up with the guy who won this year (we went to Temple Youth Group together. ha!); he ran it in 28:-- and is getting his PhD from Emory. Perfect guy material if only he wasn't deathly skinny from all the running. (Kidding, I'm kidding...)
Today, I (once again) realized breaking 4 hours in February is going to be really hard. I can't be cocky about it and honestly...I might not be able to do it. But, I'll hopefully get closer than before and one of the races I'll actually get there...that, I'm definitely sure of...
As a side note, New Orleans still needs so much help, guys. I know people have kind of forgotten by now, but it's still such a dire catastrophe. This was the city that I always went to on field trips and vacations...and now it's so much of a shell. It's coming back, but so very slowly. The city feels sad, and used up. It just breaks my heart.
My next post is going to be a photo-log. My goal when taking pictures was just to take some pictures of the family trip, not to document New Orleans. Consequently, the pictures I got don't even begin to adequately describe the situation, but they're something. I wish I had more time to go around and photograph where we ran and the other damaged areas, but suffice it to say that there really hasn't been much improvement since I was there last year.
You still see more abandoned houses than not; the water lines houses are still visible. The shops are mostly closed, with those that are open only being so during very limited hours. It's not at all uncommon for the stop lights to be out of order, but more disturbing than any of this stuff is just the general feeling of chaotic unrest and uncertainty. It doesn't feel like a city that knows what is going on. It feels lost.
Anyway, I know that's all depressing, but it simply seems dishonest to experience New Orleans without at least mentioning what it's going through as a city.
But (just to talk about myself a little more), back to race stuff...following the example of others, I'm listing my 2007 major race schedule. I still want to figure out a late summer Half Iron, and a late year ultra. I have ideas, but I have to wait to register until my summer plans are firmed up, so I'm still open to suggestions...
Jackson Day 9K: January 7
NYRR Half Marathon-Manhattan: January 21
15K in Newtown, PA: January 28
NYRR Half Marathon-Bronx: February 11
Glassboro 10m: February 18
Mardi Gras Marathon: February 25
Wildflower Olympic Distance Triathlon: May 5
?Timberman HalfIronman: August 18?
Texas OneOOne Triathlon: November 11
?Huff 50K: end of December?
posted by Curly Su at 1/07/2007 07:52:00 PM
8 Comments:
that's an awesome pace, nice job. thank you for sharing about new orleans, it is heartbreaking indeed
what about jan 14 and feb 4??? just gonna sit around and do nothing?? so lazy....
I hear you on the humidity. It was 90% when we started Disney. I literally could not run SLOW enough to reduce my heartrate to a sustainable marathon level.
Would it be to much to ask for some 50 degree weather in January?
I was in New Orleans in November. It was my first time there so I had nothing to compare it to but it was heartbreaking. I completely agree that there is a feeling of unrest and uncertainty. I found it very depressing to be there. I hope it comes back to life once again.
Great pics...it makes me so mad and sad that things are still the way they are. We've done some fundraising/food/clothing drives here but lately things have fizzled out. I think people who are not directly there seem to forget what New Orleans is, and will be, going through for many years.
Nicely done on the race--still good especially considering humidity!
perspective. that's what going down to new orleans'll give ya. makes our own problems seems less, that's for sho...
where's newton? is it near allentown?
also, my friend saw your pic on my blog comments and said you were cute. ;-)
Nice race! It was great meeting you a few weeks ago by the way (I've been slow getting back into the blogging groove). Best of luck with training and life this year! :)
I never remember to hit my watch at the end of a race either. Argh.
Thanks for the update on N. Orleans; my husband and I just watched Spike Lee's documentary and I was wondering about the real - not politically-spun state of things now.
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