The Reluctant Runner

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I have not always liked running.  Growing up in the 1970’s I used to run with my Dad around our neighborhood.  There was a circle near our house that by report was ¼ mile and we would run 6 circles or for 15 minutes that we counted off on a kitchen timer.  The scenery was not great (it was near a swamp) and overall the experience did not inspire a love for running.  During high school I did run cross country one season and while it was fun to wear the uniform and go on road-trips to other schools or to Van Cortland Park it was not my favorite sport.  I was content to concentrate on other sports such as diving and track (the high jump/long jump and not the mile).  I have always been a huge sports fan and loved playing tennis and basketball (sports that seemed more interesting and less painful than running).  I was able to make the Diving team as a walk-on in college and spent the rest of my time playing basketball (a major activity if you go to school in the Midwest).

As I have become older I found that basketball could not be my main source of exercise and started going to the gym, cycling and continuing to play tennis.  My 1^st exposure to the running group was through Jen Broom who I used to play tennis with on a regular basis.  We were introduced through mutual friends.  Our tennis playing was always fun but not all that successful in terms of winning.  Jen would tell me about her running and while I was impressed with what she was doing, I stated that “running and I did not mix”.  My more formal introduction to the running group was through Virginia.  Running is an important part of her life and I started going to see her run.  As time went on I decided that it was sort of lame watching someone run or maybe it was guilt watching other people exercise when you were standing around.  Anyway……..I decided to start with some 5K’s and decided that maybe running was not as bad as I had recalled.  I liked running on the trails and the people in the group.  I was able to run for more distance including 5 mile races and longer trail races.  Running has been a pleasant addition to my exercise life.

I would never have imagined signing up for a ½ marathon, however a few months ago my sister (who recently started running) stated that she was going to sign up for the NYC ½ marathon which had just been moved from the summer to March.  We decided to sign up for the race and we entered the lottery.  My sister did not get a spot, however I did (she is a NY resident and I am not which might have been the reason for this……many races run by NYRR sell out).  Virginia likes trail races and decided that further road running was not for her so I was on my own for the race.  Karen has done the race previously and was running this year and was able to give me advice on the course.  I am from NY and have always considered the NYC marathon to be the ultimate marathon so I was excited about a large race in NYC.

I am not one for following training plans but I did decide to run long each Saturday (which for me is 70-90 minutes) and 1-2 other days during the week.  I was able to go on the long runs without stopping and over the last few weeks felt that I would be able to finish the 13.1 miles.  Things were fine until last week when I developed a cold 3 days before the race.  I really felt like dirt and as any desperate doctor would do proceeded to start myself on antibiotics for my virus (which I knew would not work and did not help).  I was desperate to feel better and did not want to waste the training I had been doing over the last several weeks.  Anyway……by Sunday I was feeling overall better and was set to go.

Now for the race report…………I have never been to such a big race before.  There were approximately 11,000 runners.  The NYRR runs a good event and everything was well organized.  I started in the last corral which meant that my start time was actually around 8am instead of the 7:30 start time for the elite runners.  The race started in central park in Harlem and went around Central Park 1 ½ times before heading out to the NYC streets.  It was awesome to see the elite runners pass by (on their second loop around the park) with their entourage of trucks/motorcycles and TV cameras.  They really are flying and the winner Kamais finished in under1 hour. It was also cool being part of such a large group of runners.  Overall I found it inspiring that so many other people were participating in the same event.  The weather was perfect and the scenery in the park and of the NYC skyline was nice.

After approximately 8 miles in Central Park the course proceeded onto 7^th avenue.  It was awesome to see the tall buildings on either side of the street (again I am a big fan of NYC).  The course proceeded down to 42^nd street and then we went west into Time Square (very touristy to visit but nice to run through).  They had a number of bands playing in the Times Square area.  The course continued to the west side of Manhattan near the Intrepid before turning south on West Street down to the financial district.  This part of the run was un-chartered territory for me as I had never run more than 10 miles, however I was able to keep going.  Maybe it was the scenery of the Hudson River or Chelsea Piers that kept my mind occupied.  The finish was on Chambers Street near ground zero.  I was able to receive a foil blanket and my 1^st medal for a race (looks like an old subway token) which was quite cool.  I was able to run the time that I thought I was capable of doing even with my cold.  Overall this “reluctant runner” had a great time with my 1^st 1/2 marathon.

Gazelle