Nike Race in Central Park

I ran a race on Thursday night in the extreme heat & humidity. That night was just about the worst a NYC Summer has to offer. Extreme humidity (over 90%), extreme heat (around 90 degrees), a murky, swampy quality to the air that makes you want to run, screaming, for the closest air-conditioned building (preferably one where you can get a cold beer). I had been dreading this race all day long. The ten minutes I had taken to walk Lola at 8:00 that morning had been a torturous, sweat-flinging event, I couldn't even imagine how I was going to run 3.1 miles. I got to the Park that evening with plenty enough time to use a porta potty and mill around people watching. One thing I noticed was that there sure did seem to be a disproportionate number of people in the 20s (in my opinion), all young and attractive and in shape. 'Ugh, what am I doing here?' I thought to myself. Soon enough, the 10K race was off and it was time for the 5K participants to line up. I positioned myself in the proper place amoungst the thousands & thousands of race participants. This event was so much bigger than I had expected, it was almost like lining up for the marathon, there were so many people. Took me about 2 or so minutes to cross the start line and then we were almost immediately on a big climb, up the toughest hill in Central Park, "Harlem Hill" (also called "The Great Hill"). My one and only goal for this race was just to run up this hill in it's entirety without slowing to a walk at all. There were many people all around, some walking, some running, some doing a combination of both. I just dug in and concentrated, passed a good number of people and just kept a very slow and steady cadence forward and upward. I tried not to think about how hot and miserable it was, I was already completely drenched in sweat and it was only getting worse, but just set my sights on the top of that hill. Harlem Hill is steep, but it is also long and winds around a long curve, it just seems to keep going and going up. The last time I ran this hill in a race, about a month and a half ago, I was only able to make it about halfway or maybe two thirds of the way up. So I just dug in and kept going. Hot miserable, in oxygen debt. Slowly, the top of the hill seemed to get closer, at some stage I realized that I was going to make it. Dug in and continued to power up, not thinking about what I was going to do beyond that point. Well, I made it! The first time I had run that hill in it's entirety in about 5 years. I was pretty proud of myself, especially given the miserable conditions of the race (and my own wimpiness in the heat & humidity). I reached the top and did not walk at all, but was able to keep on going, down the hill and up the next two hills on the course. I was so proud of myself with this effort, I was pretty much at the upper limits of my current ability and endurance, I managed to ride that edge through the huge hill and the next couple of moderate hills after that. I finally did have to succomb to a walk break. Still, my endurance wasn't entirely shot yet and after a brief respite, I was able to continue running on the out and back portion of the course. Came around the turn-around still running, and then into the 102nd Traverse shooting us over to the East Side. It was somewhere in the Traverse where my endurance really gave out. The Traverse in this direction is a subtle uphill, not much of a big deal, but when you're at your limit, you can really feel it. The last part of the Traverse goes a little more steeply uphill (still, not really that big of a deal usually) and this is where I gave in and had to realize that I was just dead. The heat was making me feel so wretched (my face was so hot, it felt like it could explode, the sweat was pouring in rivers down my arms and legs and through my hair and down my face into my neck) and I had pushed my pace and my ability at this stage in my training as much as it could be pushed, I think. I walked up that short hill. Near the top of that hill and just before the second band on the course ("Flock of Seagulls" had been the first band, just after we passed over the Start Line) I started to run again knowing that it was mostly flat and down hill until the end. I felt about as powerful as a wet rag, but I managed to keep going through the flat and down the long down hill. Near the bottom of the hill where the course flattened out again, I had to take yet another walk break, before psyching myself up for the last .1 of the course, run up the beginning of Harlem Hill (yes, again) and over the finish line. Managed to even pick up my pace marginally for this last little climb to the end. Once across the finish line, I immmediately felt shakey and dizzy and had to make a real effor to keep my rubber legs moving forward for fear that I would otherwise just topple over. Anyway, all-in-all, I was really happy with my effort for this race. My time was dismally slow, but was actually about 4 minutes faster than the 5K I did in May. I was able to run the Harlem Hill in it's entirety and did not collapse at the top, but was able to continue on through the next few hills. I really did run most of the race, just a few short walk breaks marred my effort, a real improvement over the 5K in May and the NYRRC Anniversary race I ran on a very similar course in the beginning of June. Lastly, I do not deal well in the heat & humidity at all, so I was especially grateful to be able to put forth a solid effort on such a brutal day. Overall, I was happy with my race.

After the race I regrouped with Ellen & Ken, Harriet and Daniel (who all also ran the race) and we all enjoyed a wonderful dinner near the race finish, in honor of Ellen's birthday. It was a good night.