Komen 5k

So Mrs. FA and I ran the Komen for the Cure 5k this morning.

Temps were in the mid-80s, and the humidity exceeded 80%. There were 25,000+ people at the event, between runners, walkers, volunteers, etc. Central Park West was a veritable sea of pink and white t-shirts.

The course started at 77th Street and headed uptown on CPW, turned onto the Park Drive at 90th Street, followed the Park Drive down the West Side past the Great Lawn, 'round the bottom, and then up the East Side to finish at the 72nd Street Crossover.

I ran the first mile in 10:24, but it felt like 3 minutes. Adrenaline? The crowd? Don't know, but the first mile flew by. At about 1.5 miles we hit the first of two steady inclines, just before the Great Lawn. The other was on the East Side, and to my chagrin I walked both, which of course slowed me down. (Lessons learned: 1. Hills. I haven't trained on hills. At all. I need to do that, starting tomorrow. 2. Hydration. It was super humid, and I was sweating like a fiend before we even started running. Should have tanked up better before the run.) I pushed hard 1/2 mile before the finish. My time was 34:27 minutes.

I am slightly disappointed by my time, but it's tempered by how much this one experience taught me about participating in big running events. It is going to pay dividends for the CCM. And Mrs. FA and I had a great time doing it together. There was spectacle...celebrities, politicians, tons of organization, and a huge crowd. We will do this again.

Run 26

Run 26 was a very poor effort. Lots on my mind tonight, and my heart wasn't there. Very disappointed, but not concerned about Sunday's race, for which I feel fairly well prepared.

The NYC skyline this week features the twin beams shining into the dark sky where the World Trade Center still stood, seven years ago today.

Peace, fellas.

Run 25

I got out last Thursday (run 24) and again tonight for run 25. I ran 5k in 30 minutes and 26 seconds. I ran the first 1.5 miles feeling strong, dragged a bit for the middle mile, and pushed on the last half mile. Two laps around the resevoir is 5k, almost on the nut. I did the first lap in 14.26, the last lap in an even 16 minutes. I feel pretty good about the time.

The Komen 5k is Sunday. Please render your opinion on the plan: Wednesday I aim to run 4+ miles. I'm not going to focus on time, but want to know how it feels to run past the race distance. If I can leave the office early enough, I'll run the course on Friday. If I can't, I'll get in 5k closer to home. No running on Saturday. The race is 9:ooam Sunday. Planning to spend some time next week on the bike for a change of pace, then focus on the CCM.

Since the CCM requires that I get up to 10k in about five weeks, I'll look to the blog for advice, and inspiration.

Final Leg for Komen

So the Komen to the Cure 5k is a week from Sunday. I ran last night for the first time since Mrs. FA and I ran in Jasper. That was nine days ago. Last night was tougher than I had hoped.

Still, I think this is going to be very doable. Last night I went out on my regular loop from the apartment, around the CP Resevoir, and back to the apartment. I ran the 1.58 mile lap around the resevoir track in 15.20 minutes. After a short walk I ran the half mile before arriving at home in 4.38 minutes.

So, I am aiming to put on a bunch of miles between now and next week, and am aiming to run the course before the race. On race day, Mrs. FA and I are going to subway to 86th Street, then warm-up run to the starting line at 77th.

I'm amending my goal of a sub-30 minute 5k to sub 32 minutes.