NYRR Run for Central Park 4 Miler: Negative Splits!

 

Happy Saturday!

Even though this morning’s agenda included the NYRR Run for Central Park 4 mile race and my second long run of marathon training, I was still able to enjoy a double date last night and even get in some salt and carb loading.

We saw the 9:30pm showing of Harry Potter 7 Part 2 in 3-D at the Lincoln Center I-Max theatre with our Hogwart fanatic friends Mike & Liz. Luckily they knew a few things we didn’t:

• Seeing HP7 in New York City opening weekend means you HAVE to be in line at least 2 hours in advance if you want to get seats together.
• A few handfuls of movie theatre popcorn is the perfect way to load up on carbohydrates since it also includes a nice dose of salt.
• Looking like fools in 3-D glasses after a long work week is the perfect way to feel like a kid again and forget any stress you left at the office.

I was a little nervous about my 6:30am wake-up call after going to bed past midnight, but surprisingly I was bounding out of bed five minutes before my alarm clock. Maybe it was the new Lululemon outfit I had waiting for today’s run or the fact that I had heard rumor that it was going to be cooler outside this morning than last week.

My morning started out just like any other Saturday of marathon training. I enjoyed my peanut butter and banana half sandwich and a Nuun cocktail before heading out with my CamelBak strapped to my back. This week. per my running coach’s recommendation, I did a true warm-up before arriving at Central Park. I walked from our house to 44th street before jogging a mile up to 68th and Park where I met Jes.

Last night, Jes jumped at the opportunity to use Bo’s bib for today’s race since Bo can’t run for two weeks while his thumb’s nerves heal. I was equally as excited to introduce her to the world of Saturday morning NYRR races since today was her first. We giddily chatted as we walked towards the start. She was amazed by all the people and the organization; not realizing that anything like this existed in the city.

Since we had both warmed our legs up with a mile jog before the race, we spent the remaining time doing some dynamic stretches. Since we both had different plans for today’s race, we decided to line up in the same corral but then run solo once the race started. Jes’ plan was to treat this as a true diagnostic race since it is her first race and she doesn’t run with a watch on a daily basis. My goal was two fold:

• Run negative splits throughout the four miles
• Finish the race feeling as if I’d pushed myself but could still run another 3 miles

Not every race is meant to set a new personal record and I’m finally okay with that. In fact, I think I was even more excited about today’s race because it was a new challenge. At 8am, on the dot, the race started and we were quickly moving towards the start line. I had a great feeling about today’s race. The weather was gorgeous, the crowd’s energy was high, and I felt very prepared after a great warm-up and stretching session.

The four miles passed very quickly as I focused on the gorgeous weather, my breathing, and starting out slow.

Four miles later I didn’t PR but I sure as heck registered negative splits! Success!

Mile 1 9:51

Mile 2 9:34

Mile 3 9:18

Mile 4 9:08

Today’s 38:07 is a 7 minute improvement from the last time I ran this race back in 2009!

 I was super sweaty but felt great and immediately started running back downtown. My goal for the remaining 3 miles was to keep my pace below a 10 minute mile while also enjoying the sights and sounds of the Upper East Side, Midtown, Murray Hill, and finally Gramercy.

Success!

Mile 5 8:56

Mile 6 8:36

Mile 7 9:42

Mile 8 8:07

After an hour and a half of sweating, I was only craving one thing, thanks to Theodora’s influence.

I’m hooked on Zico now. It was refreshing, cool, and the perfect post run treat. In addition, the small amount of sugar helped keep me stable until our lunch at Guy and Gallard Cafe an hour and a half later.

It has been an amazing Saturday!

• A wonderful long run, that shows great improvements versus last year’s pace.
• A delicious lunch date with my hubby.
• Plenty of time outside running errands and enjoying our city’s gorgeous parks, sights, and sounds. Like I said, New York City has some amazing sights and sounds.

Have a great weekend!