On January 26, 2014 I will line up with roughly 5,000 other runners in Central Park and run 13.1 miles in the New York Road Runner’s Fred Lebow Manhattan Half. This race will be the 6th anniversary of my very first 13.1 mile race and I’m getting a little nostalgic thinking about it.
Since that race Central Park has become a second home to me. It’s my backyard. I’ve run more than 7,000 and cycled more than 10,000 miles in that park. I know all the hills, turns, bathrooms, water fountains and distances from each by heart. You want to run 3, 5, 7, 10 or 20 miles? I can tell you where to start and where to stop while giving you three or four options for terrain, hills, trails or touristy sights.
I. Know. This. Park.
But when I got an email from my friend Rich back in late 2007 asking me if I’d like to run a Half Marathon in January, I had no idea what I was getting into. I had just started running a year after getting serious about my cycling and I was used to distances on the bike. I had completed a few 140 mile rides and an average ride was almost 70 miles. What was a measly 13.1 miles in Central Park?
That thought process didn’t take long to change.
I tried following a training program that I found online. It had me running 13.1 miles before the race, doing all sorts of drills and speed work that I had no idea how to accomplish. I didn’t have a running partner nor a group of people I ran with. I had no idea about pre-race or on-course nutrition, race day clothing (it was winter in NYC), pre and race day hydration, pacing or hill strategy.
Looking back, I have no idea how I finished that race. But I did.
I remember walking a few times. I remember seeing a woman that I was keeping pace with stop running and walk for a bit and thought that it was okay for me to do so as well. I remember getting caught up in my head and thinking that I wouldn’t be able to finish. I remember thinking that Central Park was one big hill and wondering why anyone would subject themselves to this kind of torture? But I finished. And I finished under my goal time. Two hours seemed like a goal I should have been able to beat. I bested it by mere seconds.
It’s amazing to me what’s happened since that day. I’ve run 23 13.1 mile races, 11 26.2 mile races, 4 Olympic distance and 5 Sprint distance triathlons and logged more miles in the pool, on the bike and in running shoes than I ever thought possible. I’ve taken almost 20 minutes off my first 13.1 and a full 32 minutes off my first marathon (
but that’s another post)
I’ve also been writing this blog for a little more than a year and in that time, almost 150,000 people have read my words or watched my videos. I am truly appreciative of all the comments, suggestions, pageviews and encouragement.
I think I’ll keep doing this running thing for a while.
Here’s the Fred Lebow Manhattan Half course. I don’t have a goal in mind for this year. I’m just ramping up my training for the NJ Marathon so my goal is to go out there and have some fun.
Happy Anniversary and good luck on your race (and your marathon training!!)
Thanks!
Great Post Eric. Beyond doubt that first 13.1 was the start of something wonderful!
I stumbled across your blog somewhere and have been making my way through. Thanks for your posts – such great resources.
This one is to be my first Half as well, so I particularly enjoyed this post. I’ll try to remember to come back when it’s done to let you know if I made it.