Sometimes things just go so right.
The weather is perfect, the legs feel perfect, the mind feels perfect..
Yesterday I ran what I consider a perfect race
Although things started off a bit skurry... as I forgot my beloved watch and had to circle back to the house at 5:30am... thankfully... I had only traveled a few miles when I realized that the beloved lifeline of specs was not attached to my wrist..jeez us how could I forget the WATCH!!??!
Thankfully, Route 76 didn’t give me the normal hassles and I arrived in Philly with a quick park and jog to the start. I had plenty of time to start, in fact, I had time to walk in giant circles for 45 minutes. I saw Cecile Tynan, she and her husband were wearing matching warm ups.. I smiled and she smiled back... I think.
A couple of the Philly Masters Peeps showed up and hung out with me... and then the track girls.. the really GOOD girls lined up and I slipped in behind them. Because I am such a geek I know everyone of their names and stats... I know EXACTLY how fast they can run... and how to proceed accordingly... can anyone say stalker?
The national anthem and then some crazy hippy runner dude screaming, “NO MORE WAR, NO MORE WAR”.. dude will someone kick the Muther-F’r in the head please...
Right before the start Lou (60+ masters runner who is one of our faster masters track runners) looks over and nods to me.. and I nod back.. it was that kinda of nod that says, “Take no prisoners and getter done”... and then we were off... it got a bit crunchy at first and I took a couple of elbows and gave a couple...but I cleared the pack and whipped in the first mile.. thinking perhaps I should RETHINK trying to run with the BIG GIRLS..as I approached the first mile marker I saw 6’s.. high 6’s but still.. OMFG.. I toned it down and hit the 1 mile marker at exactly 7 mins.. STILL too fast.. the goal was to keep up a consistent 7:30-7:45 pace not a 7 min mile..oops
Mile 2 my legs felt good... stabilized the pace..and toned it down... .nothing makes the heart more happy then to be still in the game when you start to feel tired... my head was strong today and so was my heart and I pushed it... it was cold enough this year that at mile 4 I wasn’t overheated and I could push in for a strong finish... I saw Lou who had been ahead of me, he was starting to walk and only had a ¼ mile to go.. I ran up to him and as I passed yelled.. “YO, BABY LETS GET THIS DONE”... and his footsteps behind me... he had restarted to run... Lou will place first in his age group with a smashing time... I don’t remember anything of the last 200 yards or so.. I have soo programmed my body to sprint as hard as I can at the end of races that I get tunnel vision..
FINISH!
38:04 was the official chip time.. a 7:39 average pace...
MY race...
Is done!
(PS: found out that I placed 4th in age group so will be stalking my mailman for my 4th place award... CANNOT WAIT! Awards are given out to the top 5 in each age bracket in this race.. WAHOOO)
BRING ON REHOBOTH MARATHON... so then i can rest
