In case you forgot, I had raced (and WON!) the Alive and Running 5K last Saturday (as if I could let anyone forget!!!), then on Wednesday I raced the Al Goldstein Summer Series 5K and got a medal for 1st in my AG and then… Sunday, I showed up at the Harlem United One Miler… I wasn’t sure if I’d be recovered from the last two 5ks in the last week but  I really wanted to support my friend Allison who was working really hard for this event. I invited everyone I could to could help with the turnout; plus, the more the merrier, right? A mile is always better with friends!!!

The race was a loop and a bit around Marcus Garvey Park, the little green memorial we circle on mile 22 of the NYC Marathon, still Juan and I run waaaay past it on our way there… We had to turn around and got a bit lost… I think the 92% humidity got to our heads, and I had about 3 miles in me before the race!!! That’s a GOOD warm up!!! ugh.

When we finally made it, there was already a nice crowd, got our bibs and spotted Daphne after a bit!

Anyway, the men were racing first, there were some pictures, then about 60 guys lined up (I have no idea, I could have been 40 or 100), I only knew Kevin in the race, and he ended up winning it. By a lot. #BEAST.

Around 10:30 am, as soon as the sun goes out of course, the women’s heat goes. Lesley, who is a super fast runner says her husband did 5:17 so she should be around there. I made a mental note to not even look at her back. Obviously. My fastest mile was 6:05 and that was a week before my 3:27 marathon. I am NOT in 6:05 shape so… Stuart said I’d do around 6:15 or 6:20 if I remember right, but I just wanted to see where I was, didn’t have much expectations. Plus, I had two 5Ks still in my legs weighing me down a bit. Oh, and it was 91% humidity, did I say that?

Soon enough we get moving to the line and the gun goes off.

I see a LOT of women take off (as usual) and I just focus on my pace (as usual too). Lesley was flying, the rest… too early to tell. A minute in, I knew who was going to come back. And there’s Juan before the corner taking pictures!

Then we turn, we go by the finish line and keep going. I think by then I had passed two women. As soon as I turned on 120th st, I had passed one lady who wished me luck, so sweet, I had close my mouth,  swallow and wish her luck too which was REALLY hard. On the next turn, on Madison Avenue, I saw only Deirdre and Lesley were ahead of me, by A LOT. Deirdre was about 15 seconds away, so there was no catching her. Lesley was barely a little tiny speck waaaay ahead. I had no idea what was happening behind me and couldn’t really look (stay focused) but I didn’t hear any one close at all. I get to the corner of 124 where we turn left again and there’s an ambulance parked there… no tangent: damn!!! that’s when I started to push a bit more, with about 600 to go. I turn again towards the finish, clench my teeth, look for the fifth gear… and NOTHING. NOTHING nothing. I felt so flat the whole race… My legs were pretty ok but there was nothing in my lungs to use up at the end, as I always do. Oh well.

So, we just hung out by the finish for a while. Oh, I got a gift card to Harlem Shake for third place. First time I ever get a gift I can use for placing in a race!!! YEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We then watched the family heat, everyone running with their families, kids, dogs, soooo fun and cute. I really do love cheering!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then we took a LOT of pictures. A lot of people took a lot of pictures.

and then the awards ceremony by the finish line. I was so tired… between the morning humid 3 mile run there, the race, the heat… I wanted to jump in a pond…

Juan and I run back home, ended with 9 miles total and then we just went crazy… lunch was ridiculous and then we walked all the way to the west side to get me some dulce de leche/dark chocolate beard pappa cream puffs…. I NEEDED THEM. A bit later, we could barely walk back. We were both destroyed, he had a tough week of work out of town and an intense bike ride Saturday and I… my life was catching up to me.  Now I have a week to the next race and I need to make sure I am recovered!!!!