NYRR Queens Half Marathon

Mile 13.

You should really read those emails you receive from New York Road Runners very carefully. I don't, which is why I'm always freaking out race day morning. Somehow I got myself convinced that half marathon started at 7:30 AM instead of 7 AM (maybe it was the date July 30th or 7/30?) and I realized this at 6:46 AM stuck behind the slowest moving station wagon of all time. I started having a conniption. I actually rummaged around in my glove compartment until I found an ancient pack of cigarettes and lit one up. Yeah, not so proud of that one.

I need to lay off the beer.

Luckily my mom was with me and she was able to save the day. I was pulling off at the exit for Flushing Meadows Corona Park when I realized it was blocked off by a police cruiser. This nice elderly man from NYRR (I really should learn his name since I see him all the time) was there and explained that this entrance was closed but that I had time to get to the starting line. I whipped off my shirt (it was way too hot to run in anything but shorts and a sports bra) and ran up the exit ramp into the park, leaving my mom to find parking for Petunia. As luck would have it, many cars were still roaming the park so the race was delayed by ten minutes while volunteers cleared the roadways.

My hair is SOAKED with sweat.

The race began a little after schedule, but the energy was high as we circled the Unisphere. A DJ had been hired to provide music for the event, which was pretty awesome if you ask me. I don't like to race with headphones because I think people who do are menaces to the running community, but I definitely value a pump up song or two. Speaking of headphone wearing menaces, while plodding along near mile 6, this guy, oblivious to his surroundings because of his earbuds, shuffled into the course of another (much faster) runner. They had a minor collision which I somehow got into when I was accidentally kicked in the leg as they flailed about. Don't worry about my thunder thighs - they can withstand almost anything, but I would've found myself in a much worse predicament if I hadn't been alert and ready to jump away from them. Please, take off the damn headphones!

Thankfully some parts of the race had shade.

At one point while running by the Van Wyck, I swore I saw Lady Gaga sitting on a guardrail watching the race. Obviously everyone around me had never heard of Lady Gaga, so I, alone, was the witness. I tried to tell my mother that I saw her but she accused me of mistaking a realistic trannie for the real thing. (UPDATE: Lady Gaga was on The View and said she went to watch a running race in Queens! So hah! I was right!)

Both feet off the ground means you are running.

The duration of the race was hot but doable. I was very sweaty and very thirsty. Luckily NYRR volunteers had hoses to mist us with. The Unisphere also gave off some spray as we circled it again.

This was my first half-marathon since the one I ran in high-school at the Island School. While I knew I was fully capable of running the thing, I wasn't exactly sure what my pacing would look like. I definitely felt myself fading by mile 10, but I just focused on my turnover, shortening my stride and keeping my feet moving.

Just keep moving.

After I reached mile 13 (see rainbow, Unisphere photo above), I just through myself into the last tenth of a mile. I started hollering and encouraging the crowd to cheer for me. Everyone loves my sunglasses, so it's really not that hard. I would like to call special attention to my muscular calves as I power my way towards to finish line. Anything to call your attention away from my way-to-tight running shorts...