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| My new Boston Terrier puppy named Boston accompanying me. |
Time is not something that's been on my side lately so I write this
race report into my phone during my morning commutes. A lot has happened since
the life changing TCS New York City Marathon experience. I guess the best way
for me to break this blog entry down is:
1. Address the months leading up to the Rock n Roll DC Half,
2. Talk about the energy filled race experience,
3. Give perspective on future races and what adjustments I will make
moving forward.
The Months Leading Up to the Half Marathon:
I described in detail how the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon was
life changing. It was an experience second to none and made all the years of
build-up and training worth it. But like all great experiences, the downtime
and withdrawal from the energy filled runners high can be quite depressing.
It's one thing for total strangers to be along the side of the race route
yelling the name imprinted on your shirt. But it's even more joyous when people
who know you well fully support your journey. Unfortunately it's also a time
when there is disappointment as those who you thought would show support, don't
prioritize their time for your unique occasion.
To be fair, marathon running isn't for everybody, and less than 1%
of population will ever even finish a marathon. So I understand that there are many
not interested in the sport. But just like when you throw your full support to
friend or family member that enters in a new career, becomes a new parent, or
even commit to someone in marriage, marathon runners to some extent rely on the
energy from friends keeping them motivated to achieve their running goals. Once
that negative energy is exposed, it's followed by the difficult decision to
either continue your running aspirations, or lose focus and deal with the
negativity. Some wounds may be as simple as placing a bandage over it while the
scar remains. Others may require surgical removal without a trace left behind.
When possible, I choose the latter.
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| Start line at the Rock 'n' Roll DC Half on Constitution Ave and 14 St |
So after a few fun half marathons, and some shorter races, I made it
to the starting line on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. feeling fresh
and renewed. My legs weren't exactly in top shape as I've been deep into
marathon training. The rest of my body felt fatigued after the drive from New
York City. Add to the fact that my new pup accompanied along the trip and it
was his first experience on the highway. It wasn't exactly the smoothest ride.
But all that went away when I reached the starting line.
The Race Itself
As the start horn went off, I, and about 20,000 runners, began our
journey through the historic beauty of our nation's capital. I started the run
as if I was running at marathon pace (about 8 minutes per mile (min/mile)) to
get the blood flowing. This is why it is so important to warm up before a race
of because that early blood circulation can make for a better start time,
valuable seconds that make for an overall faster race in the end.
As I proceeded through the 2nd mile, I felt my legs coming to me and
I started maintaining a comfortable 6:45 min/mile pace. It didn't feel like
much and I started getting aspirations for a personal record (PR). Although it
was raining, the sites made for a beautiful run, running the first mile past
the White House, and then taking in the Lincoln Memorial. We went back and
forth across the Arlington Memorial Bridge. As I was making my first cross, I
noticed some of the faster runners making their second crossing on the opposite
side of the bridge. It was then I started to focus on finishing a strong race.
Just past Montrose Park at about Mile 5 and a Half, that focus was
rocked. A steep hill with what looked like a 15:1 slope made me lose more than
a minute and a half on my pace. That hill was a struggle as I felt like
stopping and walking to get past it. But I pushed my way through and continued
up Rock Creek until I hit the bridge on Calvert Street. The course flattened at
that point and my legs felt like jello. Any ambition for getting a PR was
forgotten and I remembered that this was only my tune-up race for the Long
Island Marathon in May.
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| Washington Monument from a distance |
My mind just thought about the fun in running again. The hard part
was over. It would be pure cruelty if the race organizers planned another hill
as steep as Rock Creek's. The race start was at a lower elevation so I was
pretty sure there wouldn’t be any more hills. I knew I had to pass the National
Mall to get back to the finish line at RFK Stadium. So I just took it all in.
The bands on the side of the course still playing music despite the rain. And
the smaller crowds putting more effort into their cheers to make sure the
runners stayed motivated. It was just one lovely, scenic race that was worth a
blog post, plain and simple. High-energy feel, thanks to the bands and few
spectators. The rain made it felt like a hardcore race, like only the strong
would survive.
RFK Stadium and Beyond
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| Approaching the finish. |
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| Norbert meets me after I finish. |
By mile 12 I caught up and could see the noticeable fatigue in the
pack of 6 r 7 runners I had caught. The one girl in the group saw that I gained
on her and she decided to pick up in a sprint to keep up with me. We kept up
our pace running side by side on Constitution Ave and then C Street, when she
finally slowed down just before we hit the finish. At that point I said to her,
“Good job.” And picked up my sprint for the finish.
My performance overall was a fairly even pace with a
slight hiccup at the hill and a sprint in the end. It wasn’t a PR, and I had mixed feelings
before and throughout the race about whether I wanted to go 100%. part of me wanted to take it easy and have fun, as my eye on the real prize would be in Long Island. Whatever
the case, this Rock n Roll DC Half marathon turned out to be the ideal tune-up
race. It felt like a tempo run most of the way with my overall pace faster
towards the end of the race, than in the beginning. My new coaches at the
Central Park Track Club have been drilling into my head that the key to tempo
runs is to start off slower and finish faster. They believe this is the only
way to increase the much needed glycogen storage in my legs during a marathon.
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| Post race celebration: Christine and I with our Boston Terriers - Zeus and Boston. |
So this was a great and memorable race indeed. It was my first race
with my new pup by my side and all his love and inspiration. The route was scenic
with all the patriotic high-energy feel throughout our nation’s capital. And of
course, having long time friends greet you at the finish line and spending time
with you post-race to make the trip down to DC that much more amazing.
Thank you Norbert, Christine, Zeus, Eileen, Ally, and Brandon for
being part of that experience.
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| Eileen, Ally, and Brandon posing with Boston in Annapolis. |
If the other Rock n Roll marathon series races are anything like the
half marathon they organized in DC, then I highly recommend being a frequent
participant in their races. But I’ll know for sure on their consistency after
running both their Virginia Beach and Brooklyn half marathons later this year.
I’ll report back in the Fall.
Link to my race splits: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/721202470
