RandomFailure

A short report this time (I don’t have the wherewithal to write a long one).

I really enjoy this event, with three exceptions:

1. Parking for the event. There’s only one entrance to the parking lot. This morning, I got impatient and parked in a different lot.
2. The huge delay from gathering everyone together and leading us to the start. But this is more of a function of the nature of the event – running over and back on the Ben Franklin Bridge – than anything else. Logistically, they have to make sure all traffic is cleared off the bridge and everything is in place.
3. A minor quibble: too many turns after mile 4. I think some of this might be forced to get to 10K. It get difficult to stay on rhythm, which I lacked today.

The bridge portion (the first half) went about as I expected (mile 1 in 7:00, mile 2 in 6:31 (mostly downhill), mile 3 in 6:50). Surprisingly, not that many people passed me on the first downhill, like had happened in the past. And today the flats just killed me. Not sure why. Saw tons of people lined up along the course, waiting to get in to see the President give a stump speech for NJ Governor Corzine (who ran today). Out of the few hundred people standing around and doing absolutely nothing, about three cheered for the runners (Thank You!). Caught a temporary side stitch around mile 5; shook it after about three minutes of so, but the damage was already done. A few people went zipping by me between miles 5 and 6.

Overall, not a bad run. At least I finished in front of the guy dressed like an extra from Braveheart. I need to do some speed work over the winter (provided I can maintain general fitness in the weather).

LBRR = long boring race report; PDR = Philadelphia Distance Run (half-marathon)

Raced today. Finishing time (1:34:46; a 7:14 per mile average pace; #988 out of 12,247) was about what I had expected, based on my general lack of training. What I had not anticipated was the huge slow-down as the race progressed. With no goal time in mind, I felt that this would be a good day just to get out there and see what happens. Things started off well (each of the first 5 miles in the 6:50 to 6:59 range, which felt comfortable), but I slowed down drastically from there. I could definitely feel the slowing down. Around mile 10 or so, my legs felt like bricks. And having a wandering mind (thinking about a whole host of things other than running) didn’t help either. I had to keep mentally checking myself back in to what I was doing.

This is one of those days where having a four story row house is not much fun – too much stair climbing when all I want to do is rest.

This Sunday will be my 10th consecutive Philadelphia Distance Run (best time: 1:30:02, in 2007).

I’m fortunate enough to have been healthy and injury-free at this time of the year for 10 years. That is something in itself. Though I am still recovering from my knee “injury” (I still don’t know whether it’s an injury or not). Not that the distinction matters. What does matter is that I lost 2 months worth of running (including the time off for injury and the recovery period to just get back to where I was). The problem was that I didn’t want to increase my mileage too fast and risk further injury, so my longest run was about 11.2 miles on August 30 (vacation plus mild taper thrown in afterwards).

Finishing won’t be a problem. I just likely won’t be racing. I have no goal time, which is good for relaxed running. I just want to be able to maintain the start corral number.