Sunday Funday: 3 Loops of Central Park

First of all, I feel like crap. You know what's not fun about Sunday Funday? Monday.

Yesterday was the 18 mile Marathon Tune-Up. It started at 7 AM on 102nd Street. I was planning on getting up at 5:30 but my phone started blowing up at 5 AM. One of my college friends sent me a barrage of texts. When I read "Trouble, help" I started reasoning that since it was Sunday morning he probably wouldn't be sent to Rikers and might not even make it down to Central Booking by the time I finished the race. He wouldn't be arraigned until Monday and if he stayed in a cell at a local precinct, I could still watch the Giants game at 1 PM. Turns out my planning was for naught because the kid wasn't arrested; he was simply in the neighborhood looking to continue the party. I declined and muted my phone, but since I was already awake I decided to get up.

I have to admit that I was anxious about the 18 mile ING Marathon Tune-Up. I've done long runs before so it wasn't a matter of if I could do it, but I was concerned about my pacing during a race. I'm competitive and I feared my pride would get the best of me and I'd injure myself six weeks before the marathon.

I foolishly wore my Frye boots on Friday night and gave myself a massive blister.

The Professor, T, and I decided to start the race together in the light blue wave. I am placed in the 7:20 mile group and choosing to run with a slower group was a big decision to me. Ultimately I think I made the right decision because I felt strong and confident throughout the race. The Professor and I separated from T after about a mile. I stopped to use a porta-potty but caught up with him by mile 4.

I saw this man juggling.
He ran the entire 18 miles while JUGGLING!

The Professor's lovely wife offered to crew for us. I wish she were my wife. I was so happy to see her each loop. She gave me these delightfully tasty PowerBar Energy Blasts. They are like gummy snacks with an energy gel center. I normally don't like the taste of energy treats, but I'd eat the PowerBar Energy Blasts as candy.

As the Professor and I finished our second loop, elite runners were finishing the race. It was motivational to see these kickass runners sprint in six miles ahead of us. Knowing that this was the last time of Harlem Hills gave me the extra energy I needed to keep going. The Professor had us run the hills at mile 13 during our last long run preparing us for the race. A lot of other runners were walking at this point, but we held our pace. Mile 14 to 15 was rough. This was the one time during the race when I wanted to be back in my bed. We were on the Westside, in the middle of the three hills, and my arches were aching. I had to run on my own for a bit to get back into the spirit of things. The Professor was never far away though.

We agreed to run at our own pace for the last mile and a half. As we approached mile 16, I told the Professor that the Mile 16 sign was the most beautiful sign I had ever seen. We gradually picked up the pace as we headed up the hill. Then I sped up. We had successfully paced ourselves and I had more than enough energy to sprint it in. Spectators were cheering and finished runners shouted their encouragement. I crossed the finish line in 3:05:13 and I could have kept going. I made it down the chute and grabbed Gatorade and a banana. I turned back towards the finish line just in time to see the Professor come in. I cheered wildly and a photographer insisted we get in a photo for her. 

That's a heart rate monitor and a Chapstick, thank you very much.

My feet were killing me so I took off my shoes for the walk to Fifth Avenue

Our lovely friends were waiting for us and we all cheered T in. After showers we gathered at Dylan Murphy's for a Sunday Funday of watching the Giants beat the Eagles. Six Thayers and six buffalo wings (individual wings, not orders) did me in. My very first Sunday Funday was an epic fail (or a major success?) and I was asleep in my bed by 7 PM. Of course I woke up at 11:50 PM thinking I had slept through work. I went back to sleep only to wake again at 3 AM and I've been up since. Thank goodness Law & Order is on at that time.