NYRR 18-Mile Marathon Tune Up

...or better referred to as 'Sarah's Tour de Central Park Porta-Potties'

Chip Time- 2:59:50 (9:59 pace)

Watch time- 2:48:50 (9:23 pace)

Yes, that is 11 minutes spent in the bathroom.  Mostly in the first six miles.  Fabulous.

HOWEVER, despite my tummy's objections, My legs felt GREAT:

My shins didn't (and still don't) hurt,

The pace I settled into felt comfortable

I felt strong at the end

And most importantly, I smiled the entire way through, and enjoyed the run in general.

I have noticed that about every other long run has been a great confidence booster.  This one is no exception.  After a not so wonderful first 18-miler two weeks ago, this was a whole different story.  I didn't let my tummy issues get me down mentally, just stopped when I needed to and continued to hydrate.  I didn't use the 100% humidity as an excuse to slow down.

After holding this pace for three loops of a hilly Central Park, I think I am ready to set some goals for the marathon.  However, I am going to hold off on sharing until I race the half next weekend.  That will obviously impact the 'faster end' goals....

(I think the tummy issue could be from the coffee I had before the race.  I am trying to think back, and I think this was the first long run that I had coffee before.  It is not necessary.  I will not do this again.)

Home Sweet NYC

My I-pod shuffle chose to stay in Durban.  With this view, I don't blame it.

After an incident free two weeks in South Africa, it only took 5 minutes in a NYC Cab to get into a car accident.  And have the driver blame me.  And then have him bitch when I refused to tip him for trying to give me whiplash.  Home sweet NYC.

But a music-free, car-free, perfect weather marathon pace run in the park welcomed me back with open arms- especially after 10 days on the treadmill.  That machine messes with my mind and confidence, but I'm ready.  Excited for the half in two weeks, and getting there with the marathon.

Excuse me while I find anything else to do to fight the urge to go to sleep.  I could unpack, but that is just WAY too obvious.

Central Park...How I love Thee

During a great ride in the park tonight, I experienced all that lovely central park has to offer. All in all, it really was a great ride. But during my last two rides in the park, I have had a few 'typical' run-ins that got me thinking about my favorite 'types' of cyclist in Central Park. In no particular order:

1. The 250-lb man who gets 6 inches off my wheel and grunts as he lets me pull him around the park. [The same person has done this to me more than once.] When I very clearly brake and very clearly move to the side, he very clearly has no intention of riding by. This is when i throw in a pick-up, or just wait until Harlem Hill to try to get rid of him.


2. The man riding the bike that costs probably as much as I make in a year, who is poking along until I ride up next to him, and he promptly hammers away, jumping from 17mph to 25mph. Because God-forbid you let a GIRL pass you on a SMALL, entry level bike....


3. The 15-20 men riding in a double pace line in full team attire at 7:30pm in the park. I mean....really? (I almost got run over by one of these pace lines today. Actually, not by the pace line, but one JACK-A$$ in particular who seriously almost mowed me over , even after I had moved to let the stupid pace line go by. I mean, it was so close that the guys on the end of the line slowed down to make sure I was OK and I heard them yelling not-so-nice things at him they rode away).

But my all time favorite person I met in a lovely exchange last week. During an already miserable ride where I just wanted to be home, I was heading down the back Harlem Hill, and was passing a bike-commuter on the right. I didn't make it known I was passing, but I had more than enough room that I wasn't anywhere NEAR him, that is until he decided to start swerving towards me (as 28 miles per hour). I let out a simple 'Whoa, on your right'.

His response, with no hesitation?

"F*ck you, you fat whore!"

I have never laughed so loudly in my life. Someone clearly has some unresolved mother issues.

BUT so this isn't a 'I hate Central Park' (which I don't!) post, I will share some pics from last night, when the NY Philharmonic played one of their free shows on the Great Lawn