June Mid-Distance Doubleheader

A Flat Race in the Sun

When you play multisports, there is a small price you need to pay. After my Goofy Challenge in early May, I went back to play softball every week and unfortunately, I pulled my left Achilles tendon two days prior to the Japan Run. It was a fly ball to right centerfield where I had to make a sliding catch. My left foot was trapped in this nice grassy field at North Meadow in Central Park, and I knew right away that something was wrong. The pain finally caught up two innings later.

I was fine walking, but I just couldn't walk up and down the stairs properly or in running, I couldn't generate power running uphill nor downhill. The pain got more severe Saturday night and I had to ice it before I went to sleep for the race the next day.

It was business as usual on Sunday as I walked to the start very early from home for the 8 am start. Since the cap of this 4-miler was 3,000 (Why? look at how much stuff I got in my goodie bag!) I thought I might be able to set a PR in this race. After pre-race festivities including the introduction of Japanese top female marathoner Reiko Toso (she also ran the race), we took off at the 102 transverse for the start.

There were fewer people in the field, and I probably ran too fast on the transverse entering West Drive. I was running at 6:12 pace before going uphill and by 96th Street, I started to feel a little strange -- I couldn't generate any power from my strides. The feeling was very similar to my struggle back in January at the Manhattan Half, where I was really sick the day before the race. Though, I wasn't really physically sick this time -- it was just the pain from my Achilles.

I was able to hang with the front group until 86th Street, but for some reasons I just knew I didn't have it The pain then got worse, and I had to change my strides to compensate. By the time we made the hairpin turn on the 72nd Transverse, I was greeted by the sun -- in my face. It was getting hot and I just couldn't attack anymore. To add insult to injuries, I stepped in a pothole [again] at the corner of 72nd Street and East Drive, and it was my right foot that stepped in it. Great.

Surprisingly, I was still running at a good pace but now I had to tackle the Cat Hill. To tell you the truth, I really had nothing going up the hill I was sweating and I had no control of my left foot. By the time we ran pass the Met, my pace shot up to 7:00/mile. I knew it was time to lower my expectations and just carry myself home. The cheers at the Engineer's Gate and a guy yelled "Go Flyers" gave me a little boost, but as I looked ahead the front pack was starting to drift away. I had nothing to respond.

In the end, I crossed the wire at 26:25, which was 50 some seconds slower than Adidas Run for the Parks I ran in late April. What are you going to do? When it's not your day it's not your day. With the injury and the heat, it was not a bad showing but I could have finished first for the New York Flyers! I guess the second place, the first loser, wasn't too bad on this day.

Stats
Overall Place: 97/2491
NYF Team Place: 2/39
Finish Time: 26:25
Pace/Mile: 6:36

A Fun Race in the Rain

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the New York Road Runners, the NYRR put together a free race on June 4th for 5,000 runners at 5:30 in the morning.

I repeat, 5:30 in the morning on a workday! When I saw the posting I immediately signed up -- not because if was free but I thought it was something cool, especially that fact that it would be my 50th race with the NYRR as well!

Since I raced on Sunday I really didn't want to kill my Achilles, I immediately lowered my expectations and wanted to treat the NYRR Anniversary Run as a training run. I wanted to take it nice and easy, have a cup of coffee, go to work, and play softball in the evening.

But that wasn't really the case, as rain was expected that morning.

Despite the forecast, it was the first race where SC and I put the band back together. We met up and headed to the start line at 5 in the morning, and realized that the rain was coming down quite hard. Though, the actual storm actually came at 5:15 when we were at the start. The scene was quite surreal actually, "We must be hardcore," I said.

Only 1,700+ runners showed up because of the rain, and I promptly went to SC's corral since I wasn't going to race in this run. Thankfully, the rain did slow down once we got the race rolling, and it turned out to be a really nice run in the park, even though it was a little wet.

SC and I picked up the backmarkers one by one just like we did back in November at the Philadelphia Marathon. Since I wasn't pushing I was really able to enjoy the dawn and the park. Running is supposed to be fun, nice and easy, right?

We ran strong for the entire 5 miles and we crossed the finish line at 39:16/39:17 (7:51 pace). SC wanted to run under 40:00 and she did it in style, excellent work! More importantly, we both agreed that it was a great way to start the day. I had a lot of fun, and Happy Birthday NYRR!

Stats
Overall Place: 574/1784
NYF Team Place: 18/52
Finish Time: 39:16
Pace/Mile: 7:51