I used to scoff at this race. It’s a 5K. I mean, who cares right?
It’s not even worth getting my clothes sweaty to go out and run 3.11 miles.
Then we had a baby and everything changed.
I ran this race today for the third time. At this point in the year I’m usually close to peak if not at the top of a training schedule for a spring marathon so I would usually tack on a bunch of miles afterwards and it’s a nice way to get in one of my 9+1’s to qualify for next year’s NYC Marathon.
But then we had a baby and everything changed.
So when I got up this morning, after being on vacation in a tropical locale for a week, and the temps were in the 20s, and my training has been in the dumper, well, let’s just say that I thought about going back to bed. Oh, and even though I thought about it for a hot second, I decided there would be no extra miles after the race.
The thing about this race is, even though it’s a short distance, it’s hilly. And it’s in a section of NYC where I never run. And I’ve learned over the years that the 5K distance is a pretty decent way to judge what kind of shape I’m in.
Spoiler alert, I’m in terrible shape (see multiple baby statements/excuses above).
But I went out and tried to have some fun. I need to find the fun in running again. This winter has been brutal with the record snow falls, the record low temps and my record lack of running. In order for me to enjoy the sport, I need to remember why I started in the first place.
I run because it makes me feel like a fucking warrior when I’m in good shape and can dig deep to finish whatever I’ve started.
So this morning I took the train up to Washington Heights, ran up the hills; ran down the hills; ran the loop in Fort Tyron Park; ran up the hills; ran down the hills and crossed the finish line.
Did I PR? Nope.
Did I I feel great at the end? Nope.
Did I finish the race? Yup.
Did I feel okay? Yup.
Did I find my mojo? That’s going to take a little more time to figure out. But if I keep doing what I did this morning. And add miles. And be consistent. And stretch. And go to the gym. And eat right. Well, then answering that last question becomes easier.
I packed the GoPro with me this morning and snapped a few pics. I love how dramatic the trees look with no leaves and the pale winter sky as a backdrop.
