runningandthecity

Well, I hadn’t raced in Queens in a LONG time… last time I did this race, it was a half marathon, in 2010!!

I did another half there, not a NYRR race in 2013, also in Flushing Meadows, but it was in 2013, so I was long overdue to come back… I did this weekend!

The Queens 10K is a single loop in Flushing Meadows that runs by the Queens Museum, the Queens Theather in the Park, Citifield, the USTA National Tennis Center and the Unisphere, maybe among more things I didn’t recognize. It’s FLAT. You know? Like not up and down like Central Park. You know what I mean. The weather was a different story… it was a bit humid but I thought it was quite manageable once I warmed up!

I was working before the race so about 15 minutes before the Wave 1 gun time (there are now two waves, separated by half an hour, which made it all super seamless) I run the half mile to the start and found my buddies.

We were all swearing it was a workout. Maybe Alison was going for it. We are missing Martina in the picture and she was definitely also just running/not racing. The gun goes off, we take it easy at about 7:40. It felt hard. A few seconds into it I was wondering why was I racing again. The Mini 10K barely 7 days before was a kick in the face and I was scared the stomach pain would come back a few miles later. Alison and Hannah peeled off, Martina and I were chatting, and Courtney was around us for a bit.

Around the first water stop I lost Martina and Courtney. I was starting to warm up (as I hadn’t run much before the race) and feeling a bit more fluid. Speaking of fluids, I was getting a sip at every water station and throwing the rest on my head. Around Mile 3 I started feeling good, though I was still scared I’d get the same pain from last week so I knew I was holding back enough. Slow and steady does it!

By Mile 5 I wanted to start pushing. I actually caught up to Alison for a bit but she had more than me and speed up a bit more. I was lost at all times so I wasn’t going to start the KICK until I could see the finish line. Then I saw it, a it too close to kick much but it felt amazing to finish so strong after last week’s mess.

As soon as I finished I saw Michael Capiraso, President of NYRR. It was his 55th birthday and he was wearing bib #55!

A few seconds later I found Hannah and Courtney, I didn’t catch Alison or Martina. Medaled up, and went for some water!

Stats Time

Finish time: 45:47 Average Pace: 7:23

Previous PR: 44:32  From: May, 2013

Age Grading: 69.13%

Overall Place: 1278 of 10,876

Gender Place: 158 of 5,097

Age Place: 14 of 636

I was very happy given how I wasn’t even sure I’d be racing, I didn’t warm up, and my head wasn’t even there…  I was a minute away from a PR GUYS!!!! Wow, I wonder what would have happened if I had really tried!?!?!

So, that was race 12 for the year. Maybe I don’t really go hard because I have so many? It’s hard to take them all seriously, taper, etc. So I don’t. I just take it was a workout and no pressure. Next weekend I have a 4 miler and I super excited about that one. See you next week!!!