|
About
My Infrequently Updated Blog. The web-based journal of M. Forde, computer nerd, endurance athlete, and DeLorean owner
contact
Subscribe
Subscribe to a syndicated feed of my weblog,
brought to you by the wonders of RSS.
Flavors
There's more than one way to view this weblog; try these flavors on
for size.
index
circa 1993
Sections
main
musings
running
DeLorean
code
unix
album
TBM
Archives
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
Disclaimers, Copyrights, Privacy, Etc.
ToS
Copyrights
Links
olix0r.net
netmeister.org
Giraffes
Eat. Run. Sleep.
|
|
|
25th Anniversary Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K
Yesterday the Giraffes ran the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge to benefit
Special Olympics New Jersey. It was the events 25th anniversary and the
Giraffes' third anniversary.
The weather was much nicer than the previous two years with far less
rain than last year and a much milder temperature than the 90+ degrees
of two years ago. In fact, the weather outside was ideal for running.
The weather inside the tunnel was a few degrees warmer, but still in
that ideal range.
Before the race, I met up with my friend Bobby. He's an athlete who
competes in the Special Olympics. We went to school together and were on
the Cross Country and Track & Field teams in high school. Back then, he
and I were almost always the last two runners to finish at the Cross
Country meets. The difference between us was that I was a quitter and he
never gave up.
That first time I ran this race in 2008, I failed to meet my goal 31:26.
When I saw Bobby after that race, it made me think back to Cross
Country. His determination to never quit was one of the influences that
kept me running after that day.
Back to this year's race...
After talking to Bobby, I met some other friends from my town who were
running (but decided not to register as Giraffes... grrr...). They, as
well as the other Giraffes, were running in the second wave at 8:45. It
was getting close to the start of the 8:00AM wave, so I parted ways with
them and took my place in the starting area. After the standard pre-race
speeches, including the announcement that this year's race raised almost
$180,000 for SONJ, the gun went off and the race began.
After a few seconds in the tunnel, my watch lost satellite reception and
continued using the footpod while searching for satellites. Because it
went back into the open sky search mode, I couldn't see any sort of
timing or pacing information on the display. I was running blind, so to
speak. Having set a PR of 19:08 in the 5K last month and a previous best
of 20:16 for this course, I was hoping to just break 20 minutes. The
Lincoln Tunnel is essentially a "V" shape with the second and fourth
quarters of the race being uphill.
During the second half I caught up to another runner I had seen in
Weehawken prior to the start of the race. As I approached, he sped up. I
said to him, "You're going to make me work for this, aren't you?"
He replied, "I don't like people passing me. And I'm trying to catch
that guy," gesturing to another runner about 50 feet ahead of us.
I said, "Okay" and started picking up the pace a bit, overtaking the
runner who had been in front of us. And I kept going. I started to feel
the lactic acid in my left calf. I decided to ignore it. The feeling
subsided. As I neared the end of the tunnel, I could hear the announcer
calling out the finishing times. I gave it everything I had left, and
cross the finish line.
I stopped my watch and saw my time at 18:57. I knew then there was the
possibility I had broken 19 minutes, but it would be close. I'd have to
wait for official results. But I was too excited, I had tell someone, so
I text'ed a few friends.
I reconnected with my friends from town and the other giraffes, and told
them all to kick ass and chew bubblegum. I watched as their heat started
and they all entered the tunnel. I went and picked up my blanket from
the registration table and tried to keep warm while I waited and watched
my friends finish. It brought a huge smile to my face to see each of
them, and especially Bobby, cross the line.
The Giraffes celebrated another race and another year with our
traditional post-race brunch. And the waiting continued...
The official results were posted late in the afternoon, while I was
helping a friend prepare for the flooding we're experiencing for the
second time in two months. A friend text'ed just before 5:00PM with
18.55
congrats
It was two seconds faster than I thought. It was 13 seconds faster than
my previous PR set only last month. I finally broke 19 minutes, and I
did it on the same course on which I ran my first race three years ago.
I took 16:56 off my time in those three years. I finished 9th in my age
group and 33rd overall, and for the seventh time in nine races this
year, I set a new PR.
Damn, it feels good.
[/running]
[permanent link]
|
|