Could not sleep last night. At all. Not sure whether it is the building nerves for the marathon, work, feeling a bit under the weather, or all three. Either way take a combination of three hours fitful sleep, kids up in the night, plus a bit of a cold and I wasn't looking forward to the run this morning.
The NY Flyers were doing the last 10 miles of the marathon - starting on 1st Ave at 60th St, through the Bronx, down 5th Ave, through the park and round to Tavern on the Green.
I started out with the 9 minute group. I was running with some nice guys, chatting away but even within a couple of miles was feeling pretty tired. Looking at my watch, I could see we were running more like 8.45 pace, which would normally have been fine for me on a short run, but it was sapping my energy today. I hung back a little to try and recover it. Uphill over Willis Avenue Bridge didn't seem to help, but once in the Bronx, then back over Madison Ave Bridge, I felt stronger again (as I usually do after 5 or so miles). Down 5th Ave, all was good, even uphill from 110th to 90th St - well, we had only done 7 miles instead of the 23 we will have done in 2 weeks time! By now, I was cruising and had actually moved away from some of the group, joining up with some other Flyers in the park. The Avon walk for Breast Cancer meant a marathon-like crowd (even if it wasn't for us) and I actually barely noticed where I was, going uphill or down even in the most familiar running location in my life. We exited onto Central Park South then back in at Columbus Circle. As we approached the finish line at Tavern on the Green, another surprise! Since Thursday when I was last there, they had put up the Grandstand for the Marathon!
Even empty, with just a few people milling around, it made the last few hundred meters so easy, not noticing the slight uphill. I can't even begin to imagine it two weeks from now!
We completed the 10 miles in 8.56 pace. Not bad on no sleep and feeling crap! I ran home the 2 miles to complete my Hal Higdon instructed 12 miles and rest. Now I really am on easy street - nothing over 8 miles until race day!
The NY Flyers were doing the last 10 miles of the marathon - starting on 1st Ave at 60th St, through the Bronx, down 5th Ave, through the park and round to Tavern on the Green.
I started out with the 9 minute group. I was running with some nice guys, chatting away but even within a couple of miles was feeling pretty tired. Looking at my watch, I could see we were running more like 8.45 pace, which would normally have been fine for me on a short run, but it was sapping my energy today. I hung back a little to try and recover it. Uphill over Willis Avenue Bridge didn't seem to help, but once in the Bronx, then back over Madison Ave Bridge, I felt stronger again (as I usually do after 5 or so miles). Down 5th Ave, all was good, even uphill from 110th to 90th St - well, we had only done 7 miles instead of the 23 we will have done in 2 weeks time! By now, I was cruising and had actually moved away from some of the group, joining up with some other Flyers in the park. The Avon walk for Breast Cancer meant a marathon-like crowd (even if it wasn't for us) and I actually barely noticed where I was, going uphill or down even in the most familiar running location in my life. We exited onto Central Park South then back in at Columbus Circle. As we approached the finish line at Tavern on the Green, another surprise! Since Thursday when I was last there, they had put up the Grandstand for the Marathon!
Even empty, with just a few people milling around, it made the last few hundred meters so easy, not noticing the slight uphill. I can't even begin to imagine it two weeks from now!
We completed the 10 miles in 8.56 pace. Not bad on no sleep and feeling crap! I ran home the 2 miles to complete my Hal Higdon instructed 12 miles and rest. Now I really am on easy street - nothing over 8 miles until race day!
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