NYRR Bronx 10 Mile 2014

I go up to the Bronx maybe two or three times a year — for a couple of Yankee games, and for the Van Cortlandt 10K.  Otherwise… it’s just so. damn. far!  And I have no real reason to make that trek, do I?

Well, now I did, thanks to my “qualify for the 2015 NYC Half” mission.  So I woke up way before the crack of dawn to head up there, since I had to pick up my bib as well; I like to get it before the race, but Rosh Hashanah falling out on Thursday and Friday precluded that.  That fact also meant I wouldn’t be running for three days prior to the race, which probably wasn’t such a terrible idea, since my knee seems to have absolutely zero interest in recovering and could have used the extra rest.

I actually rather liked this course!  Topographically speaking, I mean, as I tend not to notice much about my surroundings.  There were some gentle rolling hills, but nothing too bad.  I didn’t really appreciate what seemed to be a mean climb around mile 6, but I think that was more due to the fact that my knee was pretty much done at that point than to the course itself.

I did notice that we ran through a couple of tunnels (underpasses, really) — what is it about those that makes fully grown people whoop and holler??

That wasn’t really supposed to happen.  I had intended to pay attention to my cadence more than my pace, since for some reason it’s been too low for my liking of late… but I was wary of constantly taking my eyes off the road, because when there are nearly ten thousand runners on the course, there are just too many heels over which to trip!  I did note my pace when my watch beeped every mile, though.  After the second one, which didn’t feel that hard, I figured I could try for a PR if I really wanted to.

But I didn’t want to.  I actually wanted to finish in 1:23:45, just because it looks cool.  With my luck, though, I’d end up with an official time of 1:23:44 or 1:23:46, so it’s just as well that I didn’t try for that.

Garmin stats: 10.08 miles in 1:22:03, 8:08/mi pace.

This was an unofficial result.  It doesn’t really matter since it’s not a PR anyway, but it annoys me greatly that the official results stole a second from me… 10 miles in 1:22:00, 8:12/mi pace.  I placed 1851/9493 OA, 370/4743 F, and 98/1162 F30-34.  Of special note is the fact that I am now officially old: my AG time was 1:21:58!!  Wah!!!

Of course, I took my old decrepit self to the med tent after I finished, as that’s apparently de rigueur for me these days.  I needed ice on both the medial and lateral sides of my knee, which somehow turned into a compromise in which it was wrapped around the front of my knee, thus missing both spots that needed it.  Oh-kay then!  I’m not really sure why I bother with this ice business, anyway; I am fairly certain it doesn’t do a thing.  So, yes, knee still ****ing hurts!!

I’m also really displeased that later in the afternoon, my hip flexor / groin decided it isn’t happy.  Too close to the pelvis!!  Cue freakout.

Nope, that’s not embarrassing at all.